Shadows of the Past :: Laby & FG Xover :: on hold
by Diana
Summary: Jareth, the former ruler of the Shadow World returns to haunt Sarah and Jenny and entrap them in a game with Julian as the prize.
1. Prologue & Once Upon a Friendship

> **Title:** Shadows of the Past   
**Author:** Diana   
**Rating:** PG {dramatic intensity, mild violence}   
**Disclaimer: **This story is a fanfiction crossover between the movie Labyrinth & the book trilogy The Forbidden Game.Jareth, the Goblin King and Sarah Williams are from the movie Labyrinth, which is owned by whomever owns Jim Henson Productions now. Oberon and Titania are from "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and are semi-merged with Norse mythology (as introduced in the FG's books) to be represented here as the rulers of Alfheim, the Fae World. Julian and his Shadow World, Jenny, Michael, Dee, Tom, Audrey, Summer and Zachery are all from L. J. Smith's fastinating mythological fantasy series; The Forbidden Game. Its a trilogy which includes, The Hunter, the Chase and the Kill. I am not associated with any of these parties, nor do I make any money from this. Its just a fanfiction for admirable entertainment purposes. Please do not sue, as I have no money and not enough talent to rival the original at any case. However, Aerael of Alfheim is mine, as are Jinneil, Jalii and Jerael. Please do not use these characters in other tales without permission. And that should about cover that!   
**Summery: **Jareth, the exiled ruler of the Shadow World, is summoned by his evil cousin Jinneil to recapture the two 'prey' that got away, Jenny and Sarah. Haunted by Jinneil at every step, Jareth has his own game to win, to save Julian and win back Sarah for his own. But little does he know Sarah has her own secret to hide and her fear and desire for revenge may yet cost them all of their lives.   
**Feedback:** I'd love it!

  


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Shadows of the Past:   
A Forbidden Games/Labyrinth Crossover

**_"Prologue"_**

> > > > * * *

> _"What is to be done?"_
> 
> The question was whispered in everyone's mind, but no one dared speak it. They all merely clumped together like a herd of frightened sheep, muttering and hissing and plotting, as Shadow-Men are apt to do when not toying with a prey. Suddenly silence fell as one Shadow-Man strode in, taller, stronger, prouder then any of the others. They all looked upon somewhat reverently, but mostly with a ruthless fear as he made his way to the front of the group and stood before them, the obvious, unchallenged leader. They all drew back quietly, ready now to listen. Jinneil was here. The meeting had begun.
> 
> Jinneil wasted no time in trivialities. Although he was one of the younger of the Shadow-Men, he was one of the most patient, but powerful. His restraint prevented him from becoming ensnared in blackmail himself, but a skillful manipulator, he preyed on the fears of the other Shadow-Men to remain in his place of power. Since his record was, for the Shadow-Men, remarkably clean, his face was the most human-appearing, and actually quite attractive. If not for the eyes, which were dark and endless, their black depths giving one the feeling they were plunging into despair and unable to stop themselves. His skin was pale as death and was drawn tightly against his bones and his clawed hands were often clenched as if gripping life itself, if not for his beautiful, but drawn face, he would appear already dead. He glowed a ghastly shade of gray and often faded in and out like a bad picture on an old cranky TV... like a shadow. Like a Shadow. For indeed he was.
> 
> "Well, are we agreed in what we are to do," he asked, glancing at each of the council members in turn. They took this as their cue to confer among themselves, wasting still more of Jinneil's precious time. At his impatient look, they subsided and reluctantly concluded they weren't.
> 
> "We agreed that that the missing Shadow-Man must be replaced or the order of our society shall be unbalanced," a Shadow-Man finally piped up. His face was twisted and cruel and his mouth split into a jagged toothed grin. His eyes were shaped as those of a crocodile, and they glowed an evil yellow. His nose had already begun to deform, growing crookedly like that of a croc's narrow snout. He stood taller by a foot then all the others and he was very thin, but his skin was becoming leathery and twisted to the touch. Only his musical voice, as cold and beautiful as the fleeting morning frost, could have clued in any outsider that he was part of the once beautiful and proud race of Shadow-Men.
> 
> Jinneil left a short pause for him to continue, but then he didn't, the Shadow-Man nodded coolly. "This much we have already established, Jerael. The question is, where do we find this missing Shadow-Man?"
> 
> "There is always the rune-stave," Jerael put in helpfully again. This drew a murmur of eager agreement from the crowded Shadow-Men. Jinneil, however, shook his head.
> 
> "No good," he stated simply. "Only humans can bring us into being through the rune-stave . . ." his mouth twisted on one side cruelly. ". . . and we are a forgotten race to them. No, we must bring back one already in existence, that is the only solution."
> 
> "But . . ." a Shadow-Man who resembled a very ugly rat with a distorted tail and two huge gnawing front teeth saw fit to interject. Jinneil merely looked at him and he quickly fell silent. A Shadow-Man who looked like an evil scaly lizard finished his thought for him.
> 
> ". . . where can we find such a Shadow-Man?"
> 
> Jinneil smiled, his evil eyes glowing even more darkly then before. The other fell back, afraid to confront him in such a mood. He could be very dangerous when inspired.
> 
> "Simple. Look for one who has been... exiled."
> 
> Such a gasp rose from the Shadow-Man as had never been heard in the assembly. Their thinking was cold-hearted and ruthless and they only cared about the missing Shadow-Man because they feared for their own safety, not from any personal regret or emotion. Bringing back a punished Shadow-Man would have never occurred to them, no more then it would have occurred to them to restore Julian to life. Their thinking was shallow and cruel and there was no room in these merciless creatures for love or kindness.
> 
> Jinneil waited for the reactions to die down before continuing. "It is the perfect solution. An exiled Shadow-Man who has been banished from our realm for centuries finally brought back to his kinsmen... don't you see? He'll jump at the bait like a mortal."
> 
> "But," Jerael protested again, timidly. " ... isn't he being punished?"
> 
> Jinneil sighed exasperatedly. These other Shadows were all alike, foolish and unthinking, like lambs to the slaughterhouse. Jinneil alone possessed the brains to rule, the rest only fought with the simple power Nature had given them... the will to survive.
> 
> "You misunderstand, brother," he said dispassionately. "This man will not simply be allowed back into our order. He must _earn_ his way back." The Shadow-Men all smiled agreeably, glad to be back on familiar ground. Earn... wages... punishment... pain! Now this they could identify with... this they could understand. Jinneil nodded.
> 
> "Never fear, brothers. By the time he regains his place in our order, he will have earned it, he will have returned to us... Our Prey!"
> 
> The Shadow-Men licked their lips excitedly. Tender flesh, mortal flesh. Ah, but they had not tasted it for such a long time... very long time.
> 
> "Famished. _Famished_... _Famish-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh_...... " Their collective muttering was like that of a hissing snake.
> 
> The rat-like one had to put in his two bits for what it was worth. "Um, what if he fails?"
> 
> Jinneil's face set, his eyes glowing dangerously with a hidden black light. "He will not fail," the demon promised. "He will not fail. Or he will be utterly destroyed!"   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
The dark shadow slid through the Labyrinth, it's gray, formless spirit moving silently, yet willfully toward the center. Nothing seemed to oppose it for it blended in so skillfully with the surrounding scenery that it was doubtful the dull-witted goblins ever saw it. Even the few minions that did happen to spot it, they immediately slunk back and dared not approach it, sensing an evil so ancient and powerful that even it's touch would be poison enough to utterly corrupt whatever was unfortunate enough to get too near.
> 
> Also, the rather foolishly brave Sir Didymus stepped back as the shadow slithered by, being unusually lax on his normally impassable 'No Crossing without Permission' rule. Ambrosius found a reason to enter his dog-house and possibly never remerge as long as he lived. Ludo only ducked behind a pitifully small tree and Hoggle had a sudden urge to dive-bomb head-first into an oubliette, a mistake he regretted for a good week and a half later, but it seemed like the only resort at the time. However, it little mattered, for the shadow had absolutely no interest in any of the characters, but instead completely ignored them as it made it's way slowly into the castle, melding through the walls as if it were nothing. There, it found it's objective, a Fae king who was highly engrossed in a current project and not in the least interested in seeing his... cousin.
> 
> Jinneil observed the king silently, his sharp eyes not missing a beat, their shapeless black orbs taking in every single motion as if it was vitally important. And in a way it was, Jinneil was taking a chance on restoring this Shadow-Man. Supposing he should decide to return to his former place in the realm... Jinneil refused to consider such bothersome thoughts any further. Jinneil was king, this man was merely another one of the subjects. He was not a risk... not yet.
> 
> Jareth finally glanced up, piercing the intruder with a steely mismatched gaze. Like all Shadow-Men, Jareth was divinely beautiful, his thin aristocratic features leaving no doubts as to his non-mortal and powerfully Fae background. Because of his isolation from the other shadows, and exposure to mortals, he had lost some amount of his shockingly out-worlder appearance, retaining only enough to remind one of who he was. His ageless beauty however, still remained, his youthful face and almost hauntingly goblin-like expressions proving that although not as evil as a shadowman... still as dangerous as a shadow...
> 
> _'Fear me... love me... do as I say and I will be your slave...'_
> 
> "Yes?" The remark was merely an impatient question. Jareth clearly had no time for this nonsense and wasn't afraid to show it. Jinneil didn't relieve his curiosity. Instead, he watched Jareth even more closely, taking in every detail.
> 
> Jareth's voice had altered almost as much as his appearance, he observed. It had grown harder, more of a mortal edge to it. There was no doubt about it, the former Shadow-Man was being affected by his mortal environment. It still had a slight accent to it, a mesmerizing elemental sound that could reduce a mortal to a mere puddle, not to mention he could still sing like the devil himself, but he was not the Shadow-Man he was. He was weak. Years and years of toying with mortals had sapped his strength until he had become more of them and less of what he was. Jinneil grinned evilly. It wouldn't be long now.
> 
> "Jareth," he said the word, gently, caressingly, like toying with a prey. All the Underground shuddered, but responded almost blindly to the beauty of his haunting voice.
> 
> "Jinneil," Jareth responded coldly, no emotion displaying itself either in his countenance or his movements. For all an outside viewer could tell, the goblin king had practically been turned to stone before their eyes. Jinneil seemed to find something about that amusing, judging by the crooked smirk on his ghostly face.
> 
> "Now, now, cousin... it has been a while, hasn't it," he commented, his eyes glowing like not quite subdued embers, still strong enough to burst into flames.
> 
> "Why are you here?" Jinneil resisted another smile at the barely masked impatience in Jareth's tone of voice. It was really very enjoyable to torment what had been the thorn in his side for many years... but yet, one must get to caught up in the pleasure of it. There was still much to be discussed.
> 
> "I'm here because we have decided to return you to the lands of the Shadows." This did catch Jareth's attention, for he stopped his fiddling and faced Jinneil squarely, at last appearing interested in what was taking place. He half-stood, then seemed to think better of it and sat again, suspicious but curious by the other man's dry comment.
> 
> "I was exiled," Jareth spoke slowly, as if trying the words out to see how they sounded on his tongue. The other man lifted a gray brow, but didn't respond. "Banished. Rejected. Forbidden. Forgotten for all time..."
> 
> Jinneil let these words sink it for a moment before replying. "Were. But we have decided to give you a second chance, Jareth. You always were one of us in your heart, just look at how many prey you have caught over the years. Children, the tenderest morsels of them all." A long forked tongue darted quickly in and out of the evil Shadow-Man's mouth. Jareth watched in revulsion.
> 
> "Perhaps I don't want to go back," he said calmly. "I'm happy here in the Labyrinth. I no longer need you. I have found my sport here, closer to the mortal realms."
> 
> "Do not defy us, Jareth," Jinneil warned softly, but his voice stung like a frigid wind and cut as deeply as icicles, cold, sharp and deadly. "We are not without power. We have the rune-stave. You must obey our bidding or suffer the consequences."
> 
> "You cannot take me back," Jareth returned loudly enough to make the entire Underground tremble. "I am the Shadow-Man who left. There is no room."
> 
> "There is room. One has been cut from the rune-stave. You must take his place."
> 
> Jareth digested this news, his face paler then death. No Shadow-Man had ever been cut from the rune-stave before. They just were. They had no beginnings or endings. That was the way it always was. That one of them could... to use a mortal term... 'die' was simply inconceivable. Who could have brought such peril to himself.
> 
> "Julian," Jinneil said cruelly, his eyes watching Jareth hopefully for some reaction to the news. He was rewarded far above his highest expectations. Jareth's face went even paler and he sunk to his knees, his pupils diluting and his eyes rolling in his head wildly. He convulsed and writhed tormentedly, then sank his blond head into his claw-like hands, his shoulders rising and collapsing like a punctured balloon. Jinneil looked gleeful, glorying in the torture he had managed to inflict. He continued to add gory descriptions of the boy's death, delighting in each new pang he brought to Jareth's face. Anything to prolong the pain he had caused. He only regretted he had not a knife to shove deeply into Jareth's gut as well.
> 
> Shadow-Men hated everyone, even one another as a general rule, but more then any other, so Jinneil despised Jareth. If he could only manage it, he would erase the news from Jareth's mind, so that he could repeat it again and see the torment all over. He wished he had killed Julian so that he could tell this to Jareth too, unfortunately he had to tell the story from the second-hand view he had gotten of it. But it was enough.
> 
> Jareth's face grew older and more haggard over each telling of it and Jinneil made sure that he agonized every detail. At last, Jareth could stand it no longer.
> 
> "ENOUGH!" he screamed, begging the other man to stop. Jinneil had no intention of stopping yet, in fact he continued for quite a few moments longer until he was quite sure he had gotten about as much sadistic pleasure as he was going to get. At length, he quieted and Jareth faced him, ready to deal.
> 
> "What is my role in all this?" Jinneil smiled again, but it wasn't promising.
> 
> "You, cousin, are to take Julian's place, assuming you earn it." Jareth cocked a slim brow.
> 
> "Meaning ..."
> 
> "Meaning you must bait, catch and return our prey." Jareth looked thoughtful.
> 
> "Your prey?"
> 
> Jinneil spread his arms apart as if indicating that Jareth was indeed foolish for having forgotten already. "Some time ago, we made a deal for a stupid old man, who was rescued by a foolish mortal girl... our prey. Julian tried to steal her from us... I guess we both know why." He gave Jareth a piercing glance, who returned it just as coolly.
> 
> "We were forced to destroy him, just as we were forced to banish a king who committed the same crime." He shot another accusatory glance, but Jareth was no longer looking at him. Instead, he was looking pale again and Jinneil grinned with satisfaction. "We want them back, our rightful prey. We want them back... BOTH of them."
> 
> Jareth gave him a look. "You mean you want ..." he took an unsteady breath," ... Sarah?"
> 
> " ... and Jenny," Jinneil finished for him.
> 
> "And if I fail?" asked Jareth in a low voice, his back turned away. Jinneil flicked a quick gaze over his back, the high-collared shirt, the trim-fitting black leather vest and the hip-hugging amber tights which led down to ankle-biting leather boots. A royal raiment... Jareth wouldn't be needing it much longer. Jinneil snickered and his eyes fixed themselves to the golden medallion dangling from Jareth's swan neck.
> 
> "You will be destroyed." The comment was a statement of fact, neither a threat nor a question. Jareth stood motionless for some time, never noticing the other fading from view, having said all there was to say.
> 
> _'Julian, oh what have you suffered because of me. We will make things right once more. This time, we will play and we will win!'_   

>
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>
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>>>
>>>> Shadows of the Past - One

**_"Once Upon A Friendship..."_**

> > > * * *
> 
> _"Ow!"_
> 
> The fervent exclamation caught Jenny's attention almost as quickly as the loud _THUNK_ that had proceeded it. Jenny Thorton flipped back her long blond ponytail and glanced at her reflection in the floor-length mirror as she did so. A sigh just barely escaped her lips. Her face was flushed from hours of heavy lifting and beaded with sweat. Her hair hung limply over her forehead like faded, sun-dried strands of corn husk. Her mind wandered quickly to a man... an extraordinary man who once told her it was as beautiful as honey in the sunlight, but she pushed those thoughts away and forced herself to think of Tom. Wonderful Tom, perfect Tom, the man of her dreams, who had loved her and protected her... even when her worst nightmares had...
> 
> She shook off the memories, slightly perplexed at how easy it was to lose control of her thoughts when usually she held them with a will of iron. She stepped carefully back down the step-ladder and set the picture she was clutching down against it, before running into the adjoining room to investigate the noise.
> 
> "Hey... are you ok," she glanced worriedly down at prone form of her petite room-mate. A loud groan arose, giving Jenny the assurance that at least her friend was still ALIVE and a cloud of red hair was shook back as Lindsey Andrews sat up and blinked her green eyes, as dark emerald as Jenny's own. She winced and ran tender fingers against her freckled forehead where a large bluish/black bump was forming. Jenny extended a long slim hand in her direction, which Lindsey grasped to pull herself to her feet.
> 
> "Are you ok, Lind?" Jenny repeated, awaiting a response. Lindsey blinked once or twice, then grinned a wide smile, her pale face heightening in color.
> 
> "Hmm? Oh yeah, sure... I just toppled off the step-ladder like an idiot, trying to get ahold of that," she pointed about a foot and a half above them, where a wide Casablanca poster was hung. Jenny nodded thoughtfully.
> 
> "Well, Tom will be here in a second to pick you up for the airport, he'll get it down without any trouble." She had to force herself to keep an even face while saying that. Lindsey was transferring schools to HBU, now that the semester was over and her cousin, somebody from some nowheresville town who intended to break into show-business was moving into the dorm instead. Jenny felt depressed. She had met the cousin, who seemed really nice, but she would really miss Lindsey. They had been roommates since Jenny had moved to California three years ago. It had been nice to get away from... well, memories and Jenny had been able to make a new start here. Having Lindsey for a roommate had helped her get over the loneliness of missing Tom so much. He came up as many weekends as he could, but law school was keeping him really busy. She hardly ever heard from Deirdre Eliade anymore, since she had become a huge advocate of women's rights, she was always doing speeches or conferences across the nation. The last time Jenny had heard from her former best friend was when she received an autographed copy of Dee's new book, 'I am my only Master.' It was excellently done, but Jenny had to admit, she sort of missed her old friend, but she was glad Dee was happy with what she was doing.
> 
> Audrey Myers had married Michael right out of high school, which was somewhat of a surprise to all of them. Jenny could still vividly recall being the Maid of Honor at their wedding, and dreaming of the day that she and Tom would be the ones walking the aisle instead. At any rate, Michael and Audrey seemed happy according to their last Christmas card, Audrey's interior decorating business seemed to be taking with a bang, as well as her private catering. Michael was basically practicing a business of professional loafing as he awaited the results on his first action-thriller novel. However, if Audrey didn't mind, Jenny had no idea why she should. Audrey was enjoying working and had no plans for children yet, if ever. Michael was talking about it, but Jenny knew that Audrey would always come out triumphant. Audrey would never tolerate anything that DARED to ruin her perfect figure.
> 
> Zachary Taylor, her artistic half-cousin, communicated whenever he remembered it. 'I'm busy in art school,' he wrote on his last paint-splattered postcard, 'but enjoying it. My first art painting sold today. How is Summer?' Personally Jenny was no more surprised by his forgetfulness to clue her in on any details of his life then she was over his inquiry of Summer. Zach was a very private person, with kind grey eyes just as thoughtful as his personality. He had shown a considerable amount of interest in Summer during high school and had semi-pursued a relationship with her after they graduated. Jenny was thrilled, because she really couldn't think of a better match for her half-cousin then the sweet, remarkably childlike Summer Parker-Pearson, with her porcelain beauty and baby-doll face.
> 
> A sudden knock on the door broke through Jenny's thoughts and she went to answer it, leaving Lindsey to finish up the rest of her packing. Tom smiled at her on the other side, his gray eyes twinkling in welcome. Jenny threw her arms around his neck, thrilled to see him.
> 
> "Tom," she said joyfully, burying her face in his sweater and breathing in the warm, boyish scent of his presence. Tom ruffled her hair good-naturedly, winking at Lindsey behind her.
> 
> "Hey Thorny, how's the weather?" he inquired before pressing a soft kiss on her lips. Before Jenny had time to formulate a reply, Tom wandered into the kitchen and retrieved a handful of cookies out of her home-made jar. Jenny was about to scold him for his rudeness when another knock on the apartment door surprised her until it was pushed open a second or two later by a familiar looking, lumpy guy in a blue sweat-suit. Jenny smiled in recognition.
> 
> "Michael Cohan, when are you ever going to get rid of those sweat suits and find something decent to wear," she greeted him affectionately. Michael only shrugged.
> 
> "They're comfortable," he stated by way of explanation. Jenny nodded.
> 
> "So I see. Is Audrey here with you?"
> 
> "Nah, she wouldn't be caught dead lifting suitcases." With that, Michael was already halfway into the kitchen where he managed to help himself to about twice as many cookies as Tom had. Jenny trailed behind him into the bedroom, realizing it may take some time to get a straight answer out of him.
> 
> "That's not what I meant, Michael. Is Audrey here in town with you?" she repeated for his benefit. Michael mumbled something through a mouthful of cookies that Jenny couldn't quite decipher.
> 
> "What?" Michael sighed and swallowed hard before replying.
> 
> "I said, no she had to stay for some sort of decorating conference... or something like that. It's all a mystery to me, those colors and styles and weird stuff like that," Michael began digging through the suitcases on the bed for the lightest one. "Is this all of it?"
> 
> "Yep, I think so," Jenny's brow wrinkled as she tried to recall if Lindsey had mentioned anything else. "Hey Lind, is this all your stuff?"
> 
> Lindsey appeared in the doorway and scanned everything crowded ontop of the narrow twin bed. "Yeah, that's it."
> 
> "Good," Michael muttered. "Anything else and it'd totally break my back." Lindsey allowed a quick smile to flash across her small pointed face.
> 
> "Just a few books on American History left I think," she said, surveying the crowded dorm for any forgotten items. Michael took this as a personal cue to state his views on the subject. Naturally.
> 
> "Ah, yes America. Former great nation, but we've lost our touch. I mean, just look at what we've done to the environment for instance. Why do you know that global warming is almost entirely our fault because of all of our air pollution? And we are highly over-populating the earth..."
> 
> "Hey, wait a second," Lindsey protested. "That over-population stuff is just a myth. Why did you know that that city of Jacksonville, Florida contains roughly about 841 square feet. Each square mile contains 27,878,400 square feet. The total number of that makes the square feet of the city about... " she paused for a second to calculate it in her head. Jenny smiled amusedly, remembering that Lindsey was a math major and why.
> 
> "... 23,445,734,000," she finished triumphantly. "The world's population is estimated to be about 5.7 billions. By allowing an average of 2.6 square feet per person, every person in the whole world could fit in just about half of the entire city."
> 
> "Yeah, but most people don't daily live on 2.6 square feet of land," Michael pointed out practically. Lindsey looked smug.
> 
> "True, but if the entire world can stand side by side in half of Jacksonville, then we certainly have enough room in the world for plenty of others."
> 
> "But..." Jenny decided to make a quiet exit here. They would be debating this for hours. Both Lindsey and Michael were as stubborn as mules and neither of them would ever give in to the other's point of view. Jenny wandered into the living room again, where she found Tom waiting on her.
> 
> "Anything else?" Jenny nodded, smiling.
> 
> "Just the Casablanca poster up there. We ran into a few misadventures trying to get it down and boxed. Her suitcases are waiting on her bed, the rest of her stuff will be shipped after her tomorrow morning." Jenny sighed and settled down on the couch, snuggling up beside him contentedly. It had been a difficult week, but it was all over now.
> 
> Tom brushed his lips softly over her mussed ponytail, pulling her closer to himself in the process. He rested his chin ontop of her for a moment or two, then queried, "How have you been, Thorny?"
> 
> Jenny's heart warmed at his words. "Lonely," she admitted softly. "But good. School has been great and everyone has been so friendly here. It was nice getting away from... "
> 
> "Vista Grande High?" Tom finished for her. "Not everyone who went to Vista Grande goes to college in the city too, Jen. It would have been alright."
> 
> Jenny was quiet for a moment or two. "But most do," she finally observed. "Besides the gang all split up after high school and I... I just didn't want to hang around. Too many memories."
> 
> Tom seemed to guess the direction of her thoughts. "He's gone, Thorny. You don't have to fear shadows anymore. They are all gone and they can't hurt us."
> 
> Jenny shifted slightly and for a moment, she was afraid Tom was going to pull back from her. But instead, he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her protectively.
> 
> "But I don't fear anymore, Tommy. Really, I don't. It's just hard to see those old places... and remember what happened. Here, it's a huge college in a big city and I'm just one of the crowd... not that weird girl who was involved in that big missing person's incident. I've managed to put it all behind me and get on with life. And life is wonderful," she snuggled back against him contentedly. "Especially with you."
> 
> She caught a quick glance of Tom's twinkling pine green eyes before he lowered his head to kiss her. "That goes double for me, Thorny," he whispered in her ear softly. Jenny was pressed tightly up against him and she could feel the impression of a small round object against her chest. She wondered if Tom felt it too... and if he knew what it was.
> 
> Her curiosity was answered a few seconds later, when Tom said without preamble, "You are still wearing it, aren't you?" It was really more of a flat statement then a question.
> 
> Jenny felt the need to defend herself. "Well, yes... but it's not because of him. I have to wear it, Tom. I'm afraid... not of him. He can't hurt me anymore. But I'm afraid of forgetting. I can't forget, not yet." Her hand slipped beneath her shirt to pull free a small chain, from which hung a round gold ring. It had an odd insignia on the front, but inside it bore a small inscription. Once upon a time, an evil Prince of Darkness had forced her to wear that ring, bound her by it. It once read, "All do I refuse and thee do I chuse." Now it merely said, "I am my only Master."
> 
> "You see, Tom. I have to wear it, to remind me who I am, what I believe in. It's a symbol, but a symbol for good." Tom's gaze was hooded as he gently took the ring and twirled it between his thumb and forefinger.
> 
> "I understand." His voice held no emotion whatsoever. He clasped her securely and she beamed up at him.   
"I'm glad." To all appearances, Tom seemed to be his normal self. But still Jenny couldn't help wondering if what he said was the truth.   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
Sarah Williams paused for a second or two before knocking on the apartment door facing her. Was she sure she wanted to do this? Moving in with her step-cousin's room-mate that she barely knew? Sure, going to college in Los Angeles was a step in the right direction for her career and she was very lucky that Lindsey was transferring out so that she could move right on in, but she could back out now, before any new mistakes were made. And how much had Lindsey told this room-mate about her anyway? About the depression, the isolation... all of it? Probably not. Because then of course, Jenny wouldn't want to room with her. Nobody did. Even Lindsey. They all found out quickly enough, there was just something different about Sarah, and they didn't want to be a part of it. Nobody had been through what she went through, nobody understood.
> 
> She sharply cut off those thoughts of the past and forced a wide smile on her face. Things were going to be different this time. It was a new start, a great start and she had nothing to fear this time. She and Jenny would get along great, school would be wonderful, her career would start taking off, she'd get a new boyfriend... so many possibilities. It was very exciting, but oh so terrifying.
> 
> She pushed back a strand of long brown hair and curbed her fears enough to give a single sharp rap on the door, then stood waiting for someone to answer. A few moments passed before a girl around her own age pulled the door open and wedged it behind her. Sarah could barely make her out from behind the heavy load of books she was carrying, but by the description Lindsey gave her, she guessed this was Jenny.
> 
> "Hi, you must be Sarah Williams." The girl smiled broadly and shuffled her books around so she could get a hand free. Sarah surveyed with a keen interest. As an actress, she found her skill in what she could observe about other people. Jenny was very beautiful, with wide green eyes and honey-gold hair that swung way below her shoulders in a long flowing pony-tail. Although shorter by a few inches then Sarah, she was just about as slim and her skin was a lovely peaches and cream complexion that matched her flattering looks. She was obviously friendly, but she had almost a shy look to her face, as if wondering what Sarah would think of her. And she appeared to be a very bookish type of person, as evidenced by the pile she held in her hands. As the silence grew a bit prolonged, Sarah couldn't help wondering what Jenny was seeing in her.   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
What Jenny saw was merely a girl around her own age with long dark brown hair swaying like a cloud across her back and dark blue eyes that almost appeared brown when the light was dimmed, holding nothing but a slender brown leather suitcase. She saw Sarah quickly bite her lip before taking the hand extended in her direction. Her hand-shake was brief and shyly done, and Jenny was almost positive she saw a flash of fear in those liquid blue eyes.
> 
> _Oh, stop that,_ she gave herself a quick mental shake. _You start making imagination based judgements on this girl before you've even met her and you'll regret it later. Now give her a chance._
> 
> "Uh, come on in," she indicated for Sarah to set her stuff down, then she took a seat across from her and gave her another welcoming smile. "Feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge if you're hungry. I know it must have been a long drive up here, especially alone. I'm not sure I would have had the nerve to try it." Sarah smiled politely, but didn't say anything. Jenny felt the need to keep the conversation going. Silence was just too nerve-racking.
> 
> "Um... so, you are Lindsey's cousin, hmm?"
> 
> _Oh now there is a lame start for you,_ she thought grimly. _Duh, she's Lindsey's cousin._ But Sarah seemed grateful for the subject prompt.
> 
> "Half-cousin actually," she said matter-of-factly, making her first comment in the meeting. "Lindsey is related to my step-mom, Karen. We were never all that close."
> 
> Jenny had to wonder why Sarah was sharing this tid-bit of information with her, it had seemed almost involuntary, like Sarah was looking for an excuse to leave. It was obvious to see that Lindsey and Sarah were going to be very different in character. It was nearly impossible to get Lindsey to be quiet for two seconds at a time, which was fine with Jenny since she wasn't much of a talker. But so far, it had been like pulling teeth to get Sarah to string five words together into a sentence. Jenny could see they were in for some quiet evenings.
> 
> "I see. So, uh what are your hobbies," she asked, searching for a safe topic to start on. Obviously family relationships weren't exactly the right thing to converse about. Sarah seemed to pause reflectively for a moment or two, her eyes growing darker in thought.
> 
> "Um... acting mainly, I also enjoy reading theatre, collecting figurines and things, putting together scrap-books, some creative writing, art..."
> 
> "Art," Jenny pounced on that one. "Ah yes, I have a cousin who is really into art... er, a half-cousin actually." Now she was doing it. But at least Sarah shot her a brief smile. "He really enjoys modern art. You?"
> 
> "Interpretive stuff, actually." Jenny nodded for her to go on. She started tugging slightly on the chain around her neck, a nervous habit she had picked up since moving to California. Sarah showed some interest in the small ring that hung at the end.
> 
> "Ooo, that's pretty. Where did you get it?" Jenny swallowed hard. Lindsey had never brought the ring up, she had just naturally assumed Tom gave it to Jenny, but Jenny wasn't sure that she was ready to talk about it yet. She twirled it lightly between her forefinger and thumb, like Tom had just a few days before.
> 
> "Uh... well, it was from someone I used to know a long time ago," she paused... the words flowing from her lips as if someone else was cueing them there. "It was brought to me as a gift." Now where did that strange expression come from?
> 
> A muscle jumped in Sarah's jaw, but her gaze was hooded as she glanced at Jenny. "May I see it?" There was no mistaking that she had some sort of strange fascination for the ring and had it from the time she first glimpsed it.
> 
> Somehow Jenny felt drawn to hand it over. "Uh... sure." She slipped it off her neck and placed it in Sarah's cupped hands. Sarah twisted it over to read the inscription, then turned it around.
> 
> "It's very..." she never got a chance to finish her sentence. She stared down at the ring and her words dried up in her throat. The ring slipped from her suddenly nerveless fingers, but Sarah ignored it, sitting as still as if she was turned to stone. Jenny's brows drew together in confusion. Just what had shocked Sarah like that?   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
Sarah knew she looked very weird just sitting there, eyes wide with shock, but she just couldn't help it. She had been interested in that ring, but hadn't understood it until she saw it up close.
> 
> Not the ring itself. It was just an ordinary gold band and although the inscription was nice, that wasn't what caught her attention. No, it was on the front of the ring. Something she had seen before.
> 
> The insignia. Just once before had she ever seen that symbol, just once. Once when she was much younger, when a wild man offered her dreams, when she traveled an unbelievable land filled with mystery and adventure. Just once and she would never forget it. There was absolutely no mistake. The insignia on the ring and on Jareth's pendant were exactly the same.   

>
>> > * * *

> 


	2. It Begins

> > > > * * *

  
Shadows of the Past - Two

**"_It Begins..._"**

> > > > * * *
> 
> Jinneil paced restlessly through the crystal halls of his castle. A blizzard outside beat furiously against the icy walls, but Jinneil paid it no heed. One grew especially used to blizzards in a world of primordial ice. It was always frozen, colder then mortal mind could possibly comprehend. Some said it was the Shadow-Men themselves that caused the frozen temperatures to keep out unwelcomed guests, some said it was merely the coldness of their hearts reflected in the surrounding air. But anyone who knew them also knew their hearts were much colder then that, assuming they existed at all.
> 
> He suddenly stopped pacing and held out a slim hand, summoning all the ice swirling in the air around him to harden into the form of a small clear ball. He had noticed Jareth hadn't forgotten that little trick.
> 
> Jareth! Jinneil's lip curled at the mere thought of his name. Jareth with his powerful games, his perfect intelligence, his beautiful face. None of the other Shadow-Men could have created the Labyrinth, nor ruled it which such precision. Jareth had not only survived the exile meant to destroy him, but he had actually turned it into a profit. In a very short time, he may even have enough of those mindless creatures to overthrow the entire Shadow-World, then his power would be unlimited. But Jinneil had no intentions of allowing that to happen. Not by a long shot.
> 
> He twisted the crystal inbetween his fingers, thinking and planning, his gray face furrowing in frustration. Ugh, Jalii was such a fool. The former ruler of the Shadow-World was appointed right after Jareth's banishment. But he in his stupid short-sightness hadn't seen that banishing someone like Jareth just wasn't enough. Jareth was far too damn dangerous to be left *alive*, he should have been cut from the rune stave in the first place. It hadn't taken Jinneil long to seize the throne from Jalii's grasp, but then it was too late. Jareth had escaped the clutches of his fellow race and Jinneil was forced to shelve his hatred until a more opportune time. It was a long wait, but well worth it. Jareth's demise wasn't far and Jinneil would take great pleasure in making sure it was a long… painful…one.
> 
> But he dared not move against Jareth yet. No, not yet. For two very good reasons. Number one, what they had discussed at the meeting was true. Their society was dangerously out of balance. The sway of warring power could totally destroy them, if Jareth was to be cut. Back when Julian was alive was when it should have been done. Then it would have been easy to have removed Julian later. But no, the Shadow-Men were foolish and reckless, determined to take the easy route to vengeance, not thinking of the later consequences. They were meant for Jinneil to rule, perfectly corrupt, easy for conquest, but if not for the quick-thinking Jinneil all would be lost. But this time, Jinneil had the ace up his sleeve. Jareth was resourceful, but Jinneil had the power this time. And he intended to use it to his best advantage.
> 
> Which brought up the other problem. The pendant. Jareth still had the pendant. They should have stripped it from him when he first faced the counsel, but no one had thought of it, they were to busy mocking him to realize he still possessed it, hidden beneath his garment. Jareth had walked out a free man, still possessing it, and all it's power. Damn that Jalii for his idiocy!!!! Had Jinneil been there, he would have seen to the pendant first thing, but alas he was still too young to sit on the counsel at that time. Anger coursed through him like a wave. He hoped Jalii burned eternally for his crimes. The thought brought an evil smirk to his lips.
> 
> He looked down at the ball, which had molded somewhat to the contours of his hands. He held it up and spun it carefully, glancing vaguely into it's depths at the two young women, who were rushing frantically around their dorm room, getting ready for the coming day. A crooked grin began growing and he summoned Jerael to him with a thought. The crocodile-like Shadow-Man appeared and bowed haltingly before Jinneil, who smiled.
> 
> "I have a job for you," he said, his voice tinkling even more enchantingly then the sprinkling of ice that crunched around them. Inside the ball, Jenny suddenly cocked her head sideways, as if something familiar had touched her conscious mind, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. In the other room, Sarah straightened as if she'd been stuck by a pin and she stared suspiciously around the room. Jinneil crushed the glass lobe beneath his fingers, cutting the two off from view. Jerael rocked back and forth a bit nervously, wondering what it was Jinneil needed.
> 
> "I have a job for you," Jinneil repeated slowly, his expression distant. Jerael smirked, his crocodile eyes glowing yellow as he took in the sheer hatred of Jinneil's eyes.
> 
> "I presume it's about Jareth," he giggled, looking hopeful. That caught Jinneil's attention as he landed Jerael a blow that sent him spinning against one of the castle walls, splintering it with the force of his body colliding into it. Although Jerael was a good two feet taller and much tougher skinned then Jinneil, it wasn't a physical blow. The mere flick of Jinneil's wrist could end Jerael's entire existence and both Shadow-Men knew it. Jerael quickly backed down from Jinneil's rage, though his soul burned with anger.
> 
> "You know how I HATE that name," Jinneil hissed, forcing himself to calm before he tore the entire castle to shreds. "Do not speak it again. Yes, we both know the one of which I speak."
> 
> Jerael's eyes glowed with rage, but he forced it to turn towards Jareth instead of Jinneil. Stealing their prey!!! They would soon destroy that traitor if it took the rest of eternity to do so. He nodded silently.
> 
> "I want you to watch him," Jinneil held up one suppressing finger against Jerael's protest. "Heed my words. Watch him *only*. The time has not come yet for anything else. But the time is coming." He thought of Jenny and Sarah's busy faces and a cruel smile emerged. "Oh yes, the time is coming."
> 
> "But will they not see me," Jerael protested.
> 
> Jinneil tapped a very thin cold finger against Jerael's brownish, protruding face, the beginnings of a deformed snout. The leathery split skin made an eerie crackling sound at his touch. "Who can see a Shadow?" he whispered, his eyes glowing darkly in his long face. "Our prey will have no clue of our presence. But … another Shadow-Man, that is a different matter altogether."
> 
> "Exactly. Won't J--- er…" Jerael quickly rethought what he was planning to say. "Won't *somebody* see me?!"
> 
> Jinneil studied him for a moment or two.
> 
> "Perhaps," he said quietly. "But it will be of no importance. He is weak… he has always loved mortals and foolishly now he has let himself be tainted by them. He may have lost the power to see the men in the shadows, he may not have. But regardless, he will be expecting spies, he is not a fool by any means, and therefore would not be surprised even if he should see you. However, I am positive that he will have many more worries then a non-interfering observer, so it won't bother you in the slightest. But it is crucial that I know where, when and how he contacts the mortal females again. You must *not* fail in your reports to me. We are toying with him now, but we are playing on opposites sides and we will, we *MUST* win!"   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
"Hey Sarah, have you seen my other sock," Jenny yelled, pulling a piece of toast out of her mouth. There was no reply.
> 
> "Sarah?" Silence. Jenny passed the eerie feeling she had off as her imagination and walked over to the doorway of Sarah's room.
> 
> "Sarah." Sarah was standing in the middle of the room, frozen in the process of collecting her school supplies. A haphazard pile of text-books lay in her arms, but she was totally ignoring them, her face as pale as if she had just glimpsed a ghost. Jenny was worried, but not surprised. In the two weeks they had lived in the same dorm, she had found that Sarah had many strange habits. But it was actually ok, because Jenny remembered having a lot of those habits too. Whatever had happened, it seemed Sarah had a scare close or equal to the severity of Jenny's, but Sarah had never resolved hers in her own mind. It would take time for Sarah to open up to Jenny, but Jenny hoped that she could help her somehow.
> 
> "Sarah." Sarah finally broke free of her revere and blinking, she glanced up at Jenny.
> 
> "Uh… yes?"
> 
> "Are you ok?"
> 
> Sarah blinked again, then shifted the books nervously. "Um, yeah, course I am."
> 
> Jenny cleared her throat. "Oh. Well uh, have you seen my other sock?"
> 
> Sarah took a moment or two to process that, then walked over to her cluttered, but perfectly organized closet and opened it. A quick glance in the laundry basket proved nothing in there except dirty clothes. Then Sarah pulled open her drawer and silently scanned the rows of neatly folded socks. Nothing there either.
> 
> Jenny shrugged. "Ok, thanks. I'll just go check under my bed again, I guess."
> 
> She headed off, thinking sadly that she used to have a room that organized, before she got so busy with her studies that is. Funny how Sarah, whose mind was more bedraggled then Jenny's, could have such a cleaner living space.
> 
> Jenny finally tracked down her other sock (in her drawer, duh) and pulled it on, limping to the doorway with one foot in a shoe and one foot not.
> 
> "Sarah, I'm leaving. Lock up when you head on out ok?"
> 
> A grunt from the back room seemed to indicate that Sarah was ok with this, so Jenny pulled her other shoe on and stepped out the door, resisting the urge to run back and see if Sarah was alright. Sometimes, she really worried about her new friend.   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
Bayview College had all the advantages that a state like California could offer. The beautiful morning sun on the horizon, the sounds of the raging surf crashing against the beach and the seagulls crying loudly to one another. Jenny leaned back against a gently swaying palm tree and breathed in the fresh salty air before stepping inside. Conveniently located a mere fifteen miles from the beach itself, this was a popular campus and Jenny knew she was just one of so many here. Dee and Audrey had both come here before and came back singing its praises. She figured it was at least worth a try.
> 
> Jenny paused for a moment to consult the bulletin board for any recent student changes she should be aware of, when suddenly she got the eerie feeling someone was watching her. Not someone she knew… but a strange glance, a feral glance. Like a stranger… a stranger in the shadows.
> 
> Her breath caught in her throat and she looked around frantically for the source of the stare. She sighed frustratedly as everyone just kept passing by, completely ignoring her and her searching gaze. She was just about to turn back to the board when her eyes met a cool, appraising mismatched gaze. She started at the unexpected surprise and her heart skipped a beat. He had it. That same strange other-worldly beauty that both fascinated and terrified her about Julian. That same blond hair, a little longer and shaggier then Julian's, but it also shone brilliant under the fluorescent school lightning, spilling over his collar like tendrils of frost. Icy blue touched his eyes, one the same unbelievable vibrant color as Julian's, the other darker, older, more mysterious. Although he wore normal street clothes, the resemblance was remarkable. He didn't belong here anymore then Julian did, he belonged as a taunting face in a story-book, a picture that looked so real you'd swear it was. Jenny stared at the tall, thin stranger for one long breathless second. _He seemed so real… was he?_
> 
> Just then, someone stepped into her line of vision and by the time they had moved, the apparition was gone. Jenny blinked confusedly and looked around, but she couldn't see the mysterious man anywhere. Maybe she had dreamed it all? Maybe he was never really there... she had just glimpsed a shadow. Maybe she ate something bad?
> 
> Jenny sighed and headed to her first class, determined to forget about him. Whoever ...whatever... he was, he wasn't worth spoiling her whole day over.
> 
> But something inside of her warned her softly that this was only the beginning of the nightmare soon to come.

> > > * * *

  



	3. Its Only A Game

> > > > * * *

Shadows of the Past - Three

**"_It's Only A Game..._"**

> > > > * * *

>   
Sarah stood absolutely still, her only movement was an idle hand which nervously twisted a pencil between her fingers, but her mind was not on what she was doing. That voice. She had heard that voice in the recesses of her mind and she knew he was coming. There was no doubt of it. True, it hadn't sounded exactly like Jareth's voice, but the flowing tone, the elemental quality was unmistakable. He was back. He was coming, and she couldn't stop him. There wasn't a single bloody thing she could do.
> 
> She always knew he would of course, it would be ridiculous to think he wouldn't. The game wasn't over for him, he'd find some way to come back for her. But she would be ready this time. Oh yes, this time she wouldn't be caught napping.
> 
> A sudden beep from the clock radio on her desk broke through her jumbled thoughts and she stared at the tiny electronic clock suspiciously, as if suddenly expecting it to spontaneously grow another hour. However, the clock just hummed along it's merry way and Sarah quit paying attention to the clock itself when she noticed how late in the hour it was getting.
> 
> "Damn, I'm gonna be late," she hissed softly, and scooped up her fallen books in one fell movement. She headed for the door, casting anxious glances over her shoulders, as if she half expected to see a haunting white owl follow her outside. She saw nothing of the sort, and everything seemed as normal as ever. But that didn't stop Sarah from looking.
> 
> Maybe she was being a tad bit paranoid, but she didn't trust the Goblin King to consider the game over yet. Not by a long shot.   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
"Miss Thornton," the tart comment broke through Jenny's revere and she glanced up at the scowling face of her professor.
> 
> "Yes, Mr. Lewis?" The professor scowled even deeper and tapped his pointer impatiently against the chalk-board.
> 
> "Would you care to explain the next problem for us?"
> 
> Jenny blinked, realizing that she was way behind on the current topic. She glanced nervously at the board and did a quick take of the problem.
> 
> "Er… X = 355?… 535?… 553?" Judging by Mr. Lewis' frown, she wasn't exactly hitting the mark as intended.
> 
> "I will see you after class, Miss Thornton." That wasn't a question, but a flat statement. A declaration. Jenny nodded mutely and buried her flaming face in her text-book. She hadn't planned on wandering off in her thoughts like that, it was just her mind kept straying back to that man she had seen earlier. Or at least, she "thought" she had seen anyway. He had seemed so uncannily like… well, like those she h-had tried to forget. It was strange. Very strange.
> 
> But perhaps it wasn't so strange after all. Because Jenny had been trying to identify with Sarah mentally, maybe in watching for Sarah's fears and experiences, she had managed to dredge up her own nightmares. And thus she had inadvertently dreamed up this Shadow-like looking guy. It was like Michael used to say, '_If the model is good enough, there was no way to tell it wasn't real._' It made perfect sense. She'd been thinking about '_them_' lately and her mind had made a model of it. That was all.
> 
> Ok, so maybe it wasn't exactly the best explanation she had, but it was certainly the singularly most comforting. And since anything else led to a frame of mind unsteady and best forgotten, Jenny decided to stick with the one she had.
> 
> "Miss Thornton." Again, the sharp tone broke Jenny free of her thoughts and she looked up just in time hear the last sounds of her classmates fade away. She gathered her things and made her way through the maze of desks to where Mr. Lewis was waiting.
> 
> He leaned back for a moment in his seat, gazing at her. Then, with a sigh, he leaned forward and braced his hands on the edge of the desk.
> 
> "I called on you at least three consecutive times this afternoon and yet the only time you noticed was the last. You've always been a good student and if there's something bothering you, I'd really appreciate it if you shared it with me."
> 
> Jenny quietly studied the boring brown buttons on the front of Mr. Lewis' blazer in silence, trying not to look up at the kindly eyes behind those large horn-rimmed glasses he wore. She might spill out the whole story then and that would be the end of it. Mr. Lewis meant well of course, but he just couldn't understand. If she told him the truth, then he would want to know why she was afraid of that man she saw and if she mentioned the Shadow-Men at all, he would very kindly, but firmly point her in the direction of the nurses office and then make her waste her entire afternoon seeing the school counselor. It wasn't that Mr. Lewis wanted to be difficult, but he was an old-fashioned fogy and complete slave to his mathematical equations and research. If modern science couldn't explain in it, then he simply didn't believe in it, much too down to earth for fairytales and fantasy.
> 
> So Jenny remained silent, just staring at his blazer and bow-tie without really seeing them. Mr. Lewis waited patiently for a few seconds more, but when he realized the information wasn't forthcoming, he at length merely sighed and dismissed her. Jenny rose, relieved and turned to leave. But she didn't make it two steps before she once again froze, her eyes wide and disbelieving at the sight that met her in the doorway.
> 
> There he was again. That… um… man. He was dressed in ordinary street clothes and he smiled politely back at her wide-eyed stare, but that didn't fool Jenny. She knew perfectly well that Shadow-Men could look like whomever they wished. She stared at the apparition thoughtfully, almost willing him to do something. He could do something, she knew it. He had to do something. Jenny wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, but just something to prove she was right, he was there and he was… was…
> 
> But he did nothing. He merely continued watching her with amused mismatched gaze, as if he knew something she didn't, and was reveling in it, enjoying the ability to gloat over her. Her green eyes narrowed and unconsciously she stiffened her spine. That seemed to do it. Time began running again, the sounds of busy halls met Jenny's ears, and Mr. Lewis called to her back that if she had something else to ask him she could reach him by his business phone. She only turned away for a second to reply, but by the time she turned back, the mysterious blond phantom had disappeared into thin air again and Jenny cursed herself for not keeping a better eye on him.
> 
> She stepped out into the hallway, scanning for a trace of the mysterious man, but as she expected, he had vanished just as silently as he had appeared. Jenny wasn't worried however, though it occurred that she should be. Surely if he had appeared twice, he would appear again before the day ended. Still, Jenny couldn't decide whether that thought was reassuring… or alarming.   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
_Thunk!_ The pile of text-books hit the table with the same violence that Sarah hit the chair next to them, the thin teen apparently not in the best of moods. They were in the college cafeteria, which was bustling with noise and activity this time as everyone hurried through the short lunch period so they could dash off to their next class in time. Jenny looked up at her roommate just long enough to acknowledge her presence before glancing back down at the huge leather-bound volume she was presently engrossed in. Sarah didn't seem to notice, she was far too busy carrying on a one-sided conversation with herself that was not going well.
> 
> "And so Mr. Roberts says, 'Sarah, can't you even tell me what the acute angle of a perpendicular curve is' … or something like that. As if anyone even cared what a perpendicular curve is, much less whether it has an acute angle or not." She suddenly seemed to realize that Jenny was off in a world of her own, not listening in the slightest. Sarah gently tapped her friend's shoulder. "Jenny? Jenny? Hello! What are you reading there?"
> 
> Jenny blinked suddenly, her green eyes dazed. She focused in on Sarah and shook her blond head to clear it. Her brows rose to arch high over her widened eyes, their smoothly curved lines like to decisive brush strokes across her slim face. She coughed slightly. "Uh… sorry Sarah, guess I wasn't paying attention. What did you say?"
> 
> Sarah's gaze fell on the heavy book Jenny was holding. "I asked what you were reading that was keeping you so distracted," she repeated quietly. Jenny's eyes followed Sarah's down to the book and she turned the cover away from Sarah's viewpoint.
> 
> "I… uh… was reading about runes."
> 
> "Runes?"
> 
> "Mm-hmm."
> 
> Sarah's look was puzzled. "Oh, school assignment?"
> 
> "Er… no," Jenny hesitated, the nervous feeling she was treading on thin ice overwhelming her. "Um… I uh… just felt like it, that's all. Ran into somebody today whom… uh made me um… want to… uh… study more… about runes, I mean."
> 
> "Oh." Sarah still sounded confused and Jenny didn't blame her. Her sudden need to study up on the ancient language confused and worried Jenny herself. She didn't like what she was feeling here, but in the case of… well, *danger*, it was always best to be prepared. Better safe then sorry. Then really *sorry*.
> 
> In an effort to turn Sarah's mind of the runes, Jenny brought up a subject that she otherwise probably would have thought best to leave alone.
> 
> "Um Sarah… did I tell you your ste--- er, 'mother' called last night? Karen, I believe, is that right?"
> 
> One look at Sarah's closed face and set jaw convinced Jenny that she had been right, this was a bad subject to go into.
> 
> "What was she cackling about now?"
> 
> The cool voice could freeze Miami over and Jenny wasn't totally sure that it hadn't. Apparently, there was no love lost between Sarah and her… er, 'mother'.
> 
> Not that Jenny couldn't understand that, in fact, she had pretty much surmised as much when she had talked to Karen last night on the phone. She had been just about to set the phone down to call Sarah, when Karen's voice stopped her.
> 
> "No wait," Karen's voice had sounded hesitant, but went on urgently. "Don't call Sarah… I want to talk to you."
> 
> "To me," Jenny had repeated blankly, totally at a loss for what Sarah's step-mother could possibly have to say to her.
> 
> "Yes," Karen continued nervously. She began to speak very fast and Jenny had a bit of a hard time keeping up. "Um… how is Sarah… d-doing. I mean, is she ok?"
> 
> Jenny was confused. "Um, shouldn't you be asking this of Sarah?"
> 
> "No," Karen said a little too loudly. Then calmer, "No, I uh, need to know if she's ok. If she's said or done anything… strange. Weird. You know what I mean."
> 
> Jenny was becoming a trifle impatient. "No Ma'am, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."
> 
> Karen sighed. "She isn't crazy you know," the woman had whispered as if sharing a confidence with Jenny, "It's just that sometimes she says things… does things… talks to herself. Little things. When she was young, she thought she saw something and she always had a very big imagination ya know. Like kids who have to leave the nightlight on in the closet and things. It's small stuff, but it's…" here she had paused as if afraid to go on. Suddenly there was a man's voice in the background and the two seemed to be arguing, violently. There were shouts and screeches and Jenny thought she picked up a word or phrase here and there.
> 
> "… has to grow up…"
> 
> "… should have put her in a home…"
> 
> "… genius, I've seen the tests…"
> 
> "… your daughter, insanity runs in your family and I know… then there was a…"
> 
> "You can't do that!"
> 
> "… evil, demons maybe…"
> 
> "… got to stop running her life…"
> 
> The rest was all mumbled. Finally Karen's voice had come back onto the line and she sounded like a whole different person. "Forget what I said, Jenny, it wasn't important. Just wanted to check in and make sure she had settled in ok. Make sure you girls get some square meals and plenty of rest, ok."
> 
> "Sure, Mrs. Williams," Jenny muttered. She had felt sickened by the whole conversation and wanted nothing more then to get off. Karen had given her a few more pointless suggestions, then bade her a cheerful farewell, but there had still been a note of derisive care in her voice, as if she doubted whether Jenny could handle big bad evil Sarah all by herself. And Jenny didn't quite blame Sarah for her callousness, knowing that if she had a stepmother like that, she would be hard-pressed not to be bitter as well.
> 
> "Um, she was just calling to check up on you, making sure you were having a great time here in CA," Jenny lied through her teeth, but she didn't want to compound the problem worse then it already was. And Sarah's skeptical glance told Jenny that she didn't believe a word of it either.
> 
> "Yeah right. Sure she did. And she didn't ask you any embarrassing questions about me, or try and get you to admit I have been showing signs of insane behavior, right?"
> 
> Jenny's red face and quick glance away told Sarah all she needed to know. But at the sight of Jenny's embarrassment, the angry teen relented.
> 
> "Look Jen, this isn't your fault. Karen always been that way. She… doesn't like me, especially since… well never mind."
> 
> "Since what, Sarah?"
> 
> Sarah looked down for a long moment, studying the long shell pink nails decorating her slender fingers. Finally she looked back up into Jenny's inquiring green gaze. "Sometimes I do say funny things… strange things. But I'm not crazy, Jenny. It's just a long time ago I… went through something no normal people have ever had to go though. I can't be normal again… but I'm still not crazy. I'm not!"
> 
> Jenny clasped Sarah's suddenly cold hands tightly in her strong warm one. "I know," she said quietly. Sarah looked at her doubtfully.
> 
> "How do you know?"
> 
> Jenny shivered slightly. "I—I—I was there too… sometime ago. I went through something that… that isn't normal. We were meant to meet each other, Sarah. We can help each other. We both went through stuff… and we are both still here. We won, Sarah. We WON!"
> 
> Sarah looked down, her blue eyes tracing the worn ridges of the cafeteria table. She looked lost. Vulnerable. Frightened.
> 
> "I know," she whispered just under her breath. Jenny squeezed her hand tighter and they both sat there for a moment, drawing on each other's strength and comfort, sharing their mutual victories. They had won. The fight was over. They could rest, never again having to fear the twisting of the labyrinths or the dark haunting of the shadows. They could finally find peace.
> 
> Unfortunately, neither one entirely believed those comforting thoughts right now.   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
_BRRRRRING!!!_ The bell announced the last second of school time and Jenny slammed her books shut with a contented bang, relieved to be finished with the afternoon's obligations. She gathered up her possessions and headed for the door, her eyes automatically scanning for the strange gentleman who had already graced her with his presence twice today, if not his actual being. She was so intent on searching for him, that she actually almost missed him when he appeared.
> 
> He moved so smoothly out of the teeming crowd that he almost seemed to appear out of thin air, and a cruel seductive smile crossed his face as he studied her. She almost missed him on the first go-round, but that wispy blond hair and those gorgeous crooked brows were impossible to mistake. Jenny stared at him just as before and almost started to speak, but then thought better of it. He was the delusion, let him make the first move.
> 
> _However, I absolutely refuse to take my eyes off of him this time,_ she thought to herself grimly. Still, she nearly lost her jaw as he stepped forward and inquired softly in a crisp British accent, "You are Miss 'Jenny Thornton'… am I correct in assuming?"
> 
> Jenny recovered her breath which came in a quick gasp and forced a hand forward, shoving her weighty load of books on her other arm.
> 
> "Uh yes, yes, that's me. But you are…?"
> 
> He smiled, and Jenny could see that she was mistaken earlier. His smile wasn't cruel, it was cordial, cool, smooth. Must have been the effect of those pointed teeth.
> 
> "My name is Professor Jarod Kingston and I was told you had some fascinating psychology that I'd greatly enjoy hearing. I may have been mentioned to you by a couple of my former students, Deirdre Eliade or Audrey Myers? They recommended you when you had told them you were transferring to this college and asked me to look you up." He took her hand in one of his cold ones and swept a light kiss across it. Though Jenny's brain had gone numb, suddenly it miraculously started to clear and Jenny remembered Michael mentioning the professor when he came to help Lindsey move out of the dorm. Funny that Jenny had forgotten that until this very moment.
> 
> "It's good to meet you Professor. I'm still a tad bit new here, so guess I just haven't gotten around to meeting everybody I'm supposed to yet," she laughed lightly. The professor's eyes danced with something akin to amusement as well. "Do you have some extra time on your hands? I'd love to get started as soon as possible."
> 
> There was a note in Jarod's voice that Jenny couldn't quite define as the professor replied, "That goes for me too. My entire afternoon is at your disposal, Miss Thornton. Please… follow me." He led the way to office and Jenny tagged along at his heels thinking, _Wow, what a day. First the mysterious sightings, now explained. He was probably just trying to make sure I was the right Jenny Thornton. Then the emotional lunch-time and now I'm getting to spend the afternoon with this gorgeous psychologist. Too bad Sarah isn't here. Wait till she hears about this. She'll totally flip!_   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
Actually, Jenny was more right on then she knew, for though she guessed Sarah would be interested in hearing about the handsome psychologist, she had no idea just *how* interesting Sarah would find this news, for that's exactly who Sarah was trying to track down right now.
> 
> Sarah knew Jareth was here somewhere. She could feel him, sense his presence and know he was near. But why? Oh gods, WHY?! What did he want from her?
> 
> "Ouch!" The loud proclamation startled Sarah and she blinked dazedly at the person she bumped into.
> 
> "Oh sorry Clinton."
> 
> Clinton was a thin, weedy, sixteen year old computer nerd who was there in the college on scholarship and was best avoided by everyone who had any desire whatsoever to pursue a college social life. He sniffed compulsively and pushed his thick glasses back up on his nose, trying to summon up his sexist smile for Sarah, but only succeeding in displaying the world's accumulation of junk metal decorating his front teeth.
> 
> "No problem," he nodded understandingly. "I'm not normally standing here in this hallway anyway. I should be at my shrink's right now, but he cancelled my appointment for the day, saying something urgent had come up."
> 
> "Really," Sarah murmured noncommittally, not caring in the least about Clinton's personal habits. He beamed.
> 
> "Oh yes. You've met Dr. Kingston, haven't you?"
> 
> "Can't say that I have."
> 
> "Oh, he's awesome," Clinton assured her. "Been doing wonders for my self esteem problems, you know."
> 
> "That nice," Sarah murmured again, thinking that if Clinton thought this doctor was great, that clinched it for her. No one Clinton admired was all that worthy of study for sure. But Clinton continued, apparently under the misinformation that Sarah actually cared.
> 
> "Yeah, and I hear he's a real hit with the ladies. Not that I really can see what's all exciting about him myself really. Wispy thin, rather dull blond hair and strangely crooked brows and teeth. And his eyes don't even match!"
> 
> One dark brow suddenly rose and Sarah's head swiveled around towards him and for once in his life, Clinton was suddenly gifted with the entire attention of a beautiful girl. "What did you say his name was again?"
> 
> "Jarod Kingston, the new psychology professor. He transferred in really recently, few weeks ago I think. Has a British accent, so I'm not sure if he's…"
> 
> "And where is his office?"
> 
> "Um, downstairs, main hallway, first door to the left. Not that it matters, cause trust me, this guy is nowhere near as hunky as me…" Clinton called after Sarah's departing back. She was walking at a brisk pace when suddenly Clinton's voice brought her to a complete stop in her tracks.
> 
> "But um, Sarah, I don't really think you should go barging in there now. I mean, he'd like to meet you and all, but he's tutoring a student right now… um, Jenny somebody or the other."
> 
> That's when Sarah started to run.   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
"So, you are saying that you think these 'Shadow' people play mind-games with mortals deliberately to control them," Jarod repeated slowly, watching Jenny as she relaxed in his big leather chair. Jenny nodded.
> 
> "Yes, everything is a game to them. They'll play with your mind, your heart, your feelings… anything so that they can take possession of you. It's all a game, but it's a game of life or death. Your life or death. Winner take all."
> 
> "And this one… this '**_Julian_**'… he was the opponent."
> 
> "For me yes," Jenny agreed. "But not for everyone I think. He was the nicest though. Towards the end, I think he actually… cared about us. Not just me, but… **us.** My friends. Even Tom. Perhaps towards the end he was growing almost mortal… and suffering because of it."
> 
> "I see." Jarod was silent for a long moment. Then he sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Well, let's get back to the subject at hand. Shadow-Men. They are…"
> 
> "Evil. Twisted. Corrupt." Jenny shrugged. "They are everything and nothing. They are the source of our fears and the basis of our dark myths and beliefs. They are shadows, what more can I say?"
> 
> "And they do… what?"
> 
> "They trifle with us… as if we were a mere plastic doll sent along with a child's Happy Meal to be toyed with at whim until they either destroy or tire of us…" Jenny couldn't help a slight shudder. "They despise us because we are light to their darkness… good to their evil. They want to ruin us… hurt us… break us. They play these games to trap us… I suppose that helps them feel justified…" She shuddered again. "I don't know. I don't know why."
> 
> "No matter," Jarod said soothingly, laying his cool hand on her brow. Jenny felt her tenseness easing to be replaced with a lulling, hypnotic aura melting her bones and dulling her senses. She tried to think but it was all so hard. So much easier to just relax, to just trust. To just believe in Jarod and what he was saying.
> 
> "So, we've established that these 'Shadow' people use mind-games and tricks to gain the upper-hand, right?" The slender gentleman stood to his feet, one cheek dimpling slightly in a calculated smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's a very interesting theory, Miss Thornton. Let's say we put it to the test. Suppose you and I play a little mind game together. You set the stakes, I will set the rules. Fair enough?"
> 
> Somewhere in the back of Jenny's head, a tiny warning bell rang and was getting louder every minute. Yet Jarod grinned at her, so charming and trustworthy. It somehow didn't seem to matter anymore how very odd he was and all the little quirks that seemed not to ring true about him. Nothing seemed to matter much anymore.
> 
> "Deal, Professor."   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
Sarah reached the office and rapped nervously on the door, pressing her ear to the wood in hopes of hearing voices inside. She heard nothing however.
> 
> She pressed the handle down, but the door appeared to be stuck, not moving an inch from where it was. She pressed all of her slight frame against the door, trying to throw her weight into it as she pushed, but still to no avail. Finally, the door budged ever so slightly, giving Sarah hopes and she renewed her onslaught with more vigor. At last, the door flew open with a loud crack and Sarah dove inside, half-fearful, half-hopeful over what she might see.
> 
> Then she clenched his fists and slammed them against the poor beaten door, having seen all she needed to. She was too late. The new professor, his office, his desk, all of them gone. And on the floor before her, a single white owl feather lay accusingly, answering her every question in one fell swoop.
> 
> Everything else… empty. Jenny was gone.   

>
>> > * * *


	4. Mind Games

> > > * * *

  
Shadows of the Past - Four

**"_Mind Games_"**

> > > * * *

> **_Why don't you call me Julian?_**
> 
> **_Is that your name?**___
> 
> _ **It's as good as anything else.**___
> 
> _ **Don't you get it? Djinn—aljinnu-- Julian. It was a joke. They like to _play_ with us…**___
> 
> _ **You'll play until you win—or I do.**___
> 
> _ **What do you want from us?**_
> 
> *_*Every game has a prize—winner take all!**___
> 
> _ **But _why?_ Why are you doing this to _me_?**_   

> 
> Julian had never looked so serious as he replied, point blank.   

> 
> **Because—I've fallen in love with you.**
> 
>   
There it was. So simple. So formal. Such a smooth description of the obsessive events that followed.
> 
> But Jenny hadn't believed him. Not then. Well, in a way she _had _believed him the same way a person believes that a snake coiled and hissing will strike… yet until it actually happens, it doesn't sink into one's consciousness. And that was how Jenny had felt. She knew he loved her, wildly. Passionately. Possessively. And it frightened her. But she didn't understand why until later.
> 
>   
_**Your Light to my Darkness, Jenny… either black or white on its own is boring. But if you mix them, you get so many colors…**_
> 
>   
But as much as he had fascinated her, she had wanted no part of him. She fought, betrayed and opposed him at every opportunity. He was evil and yet… yet he was so _vulnerable_. He wasn't like the others. If Tom hadn't been there (which he was) and if Julian hadn't done so many violent things (which he _did_), then maybe, just maybe she could have loved him. But it was no time for regrets now. Julian had given himself to save her and in so doing, had put himself past saving. He was no longer an opinion to Jenny.
> 
> But it wasn't over yet.
> 
> Jenny should have guessed as much herself. The Shadow-Men were definitely not the forgive and forget types. They tended to be on the whole, vengeful and violent, furiously angry that Jenny has escaped the first time and therefore dead set on getting her the second time. She should have known they would send someone after her someday.
> 
> _But who was he?_
> 
> His unearthly beauty, the voice as pure and sweet as the icy breeze after a snow fall, his eyes wide and clear blue as the sky on snowy winter morning. Both beautiful and treacherous. Both entrancing and dangerous. But Jenny hadn't felt that fear around him, that icy gripping feeling one usually got when faced with the utter ruthlessness that went along with that shadowed beauty. He was young. Very young. He had to be to have stayed as pure as he was, to have kept from turning as hideous and deformed as the others. And perhaps, _just_ perhaps, that meant that he wasn't as evil as the others either. Perhaps, like Julian, he meant to give her chance. And perhaps, just like before, she would win.
> 
> _Win?_
> 
> Jenny groaned and sat up slowly, trying not to upset her whirling head. She didn't know how long she had laid there, letting the memories seep through her mind, but she was awake now. And perhaps it didn't matter since she hadn't been given a time limit. _Mind games_, he had said. Jenny needed to be fully aware of what was going on around her to be ready to play. Unbidden, an old sign from the past rose up in her mind to taunt her.
> 
> **WELC**   
**OMET**   
** OMYW**   
**ORLD**   
It was unnervingly similar to what she now faced before her. A world, not the shadow world, nor was it earthly, Jenny was sure of that. But it was some sort of world, blank and wild, marked out as if for battle. Jenny noticed the floor was pocked with black and white squares, as if for a chess board or a checker board. The horizon stretched on for miles on either side, nothing in sight except the sea of squares which seemed to go on forever. Jenny thought for a moment, then took a decisive step forward, standing herself firmly in the middle of one black square. She was ready to begin the game.
> 
> "Very good," the approving tone caught Jenny's attention and she swerved around, trying to see who had spoken. Jareth alias "_Jarod_" stood behind her, as if from nowhere, his icy blue mismatched gaze dancing with amusement. Jenny began to stiffen at the thought that she might be the cause of it.
> 
> "Who are you," she asked quietly. Never flinching even as he moved closer, a mocking, jeering smile on his beautiful face. "What do you want with me?"
> 
> "How original," Jareth murmured, his arms folded tauntingly over his thin chest. Jenny tried not to let on about how nervous she felt in his presence.
> 
> "Let's just say that I… like you Miss Thornton… hold a healthy appreciation for a well-planned game. Since the beginning of time, it has been human kind's way of escaping the ordinary and touching on what lies just beyond their vision. Irresistible. Timeless. Dangerous."
> 
> _ ** "Mystery. Danger. Seduction. Fear. Secrets revealed. Desires unveiled. Temptation." **_
> 
> Jenny cringed, as the memories came flooding back. She, walking into the More Games store, searching for something to break the monotony of a dull party. Julian, tempting her with a game that she couldn't seem to resist. His eyes glowing like a tiger's, promising her the game would bring all these things and more. He was not mistaken. Jenny only wished she had the sense then to listen.
> 
> _And the sense now_, she added silently. _If only I could walk away. If only I hadn't…_
> 
> "The Shadow-Men don't play their games for fun," she suddenly exclaimed. "The risk is too high, the stakes… too dangerous."
> 
> "Ah," Jareth replied quietly, his eyes never leaving hers. "But if you will recall, Miss Thornton. It is _you _who is setting the stakes for this game. And you are not a Shadow, are you?" His words carried a note of warning in them.
> 
> Jenny arched one dark brow above the other, bracing herself for the other shoe to drop. "That was our agreement," she said, matching his quiet tone. "But I would not be surprised to find out you also excel at… _Gamesmanship_." She deliberately used Julian's word for his style of playing, waiting to see if it got a reaction.
> 
> It did. Both Jareth's eyebrows rose to his hairline and the ends of his thin lips quivered, as if holding back the beginning of a smile.
> 
> "Where did you hear that word?"
> 
> Jenny didn't answer him. "The art of winning without cheating, is it not?" she pressed him. "And Shadow-Men never cheat do they?"
> 
> "You haven't forgotten the lessons Julian taught you," Jareth observed, his voice low and eerie. His eyes glittered cruelly like the frost on the windows signaling a winter storm. Jenny shuddered silently, remembering the cruelty in Julian's eyes so like that. The Prince of Darkness. Well if he truly was such, then she was now standing in the presence of the King. The danger that shrouded Julian like a gray cloud was even more evident in this man and the youthful exuberance Julian had displayed was replaced in Jareth with a calm measured assurance that came with maturity. Jenny felt a pang of unexpected fear strike her as she suddenly realized that she was not facing an impulsive boy this time, but a hard seasoned Game-master who did not want to lose. Not being blinded by love, or limited by kindness, Jareth was ten times the adversary Julian ever was, not just in skill, but in truth. And this was not a fight that would be won easily, if at all.
> 
> "Why me?" Jenny suddenly protested, feeling very small. "Why me? If you are going to take your revenge, well ok, but why go through all this trouble? I don't understand."
> 
> Jareth laughed, his voice ringing out and echoing back over the huge empty space. "Oh my dear Miss Thornton, don't you know yet? Think back on what Julian told you. _Every_ _game_ has a prize. The question is, what have we both to gain from this game?"
> 
> Jenny paused. _Every game has a prize?_ But what could he be getting at? Wasn't the prize—Jenny herself?
> 
> Jareth laughed again, even more mockingly this time. "Child, if what I sought was just you, what would prevent me from simply taking you now? Why bother with this game? What would be the point? I know you are more logical then that, my dear."
> 
> Jenny paused. He did have a point. "Then what do you want?" she asked, dropping all pretenses. Jareth's gaze grew deadly serious. He half-turned away from her, gazing into infinity with a solemn stance that mystified her.
> 
> "Sometimes Jenny, life isn't as easy to control as we think it is. Sometimes things happen that shouldn't… and we don't realize until later that we are powerless to stop them." He turned back to Jenny almost violently, something leaping in his eyes that Jenny couldn't quite define. "Doubtless you think the Shadow-Men can see everything. Well, you are wrong. Things happen that shouldn't happen, and danger presents itself when you least expect it. From where you least expect it." His lips twisted. "Ironic."
> 
> Jenny wasn't quite following what he was saying, but two things were starting to become clear to her. "So, you are one of them," she stated quietly. "You are a Shadow-Man." He only looked at her.
> 
> _Things happen that shouldn't happen…_ Something sounded so familiar in that phrase. But somehow Jenny couldn't quite put her finger on it. _Things happen… things…_ The law of the jungle._ Julian._ Of course.
> 
> "Julian. That's what you want from me," she murmured, her eyes widening. "You want Julian back."   
  
A long slow smile made it's way across Jareth's face, practically causing Jenny's knees to melt straight into the floor. She had forgotten how they could smile like that, so slow and arrogant and soft and altogether appealing.
> 
> "Bravo," he said quietly. He applauded mockingly for a moment or two. If Jenny wasn't feeling so intimidated, she damn well would have hit him. "Very perceptive my dear. I knew you'd catch on."
> 
> "But I can still walk away," she threatened him, poking her finger in his general direction. "I don't want to play your stupid games, Mr… whatever your name may be."
> 
> "Jareth, if it is all the same," Jareth said lightly. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and Jenny recoiled, unnerved by the bitter cold of his touch, like frozen marble. "And go where, Jenny? We made a deal remember?"
> 
> "Consent gained under false pretences is no consent at all," Jenny shot back. "It invalidates the contract, _ab initio_."   
  
Jareth studied her for a long moment. His long fingers grew tense on her arm. "You could have walked away from Julian too," he murmured. "Why didn't you?"
> 
> "That's not true. Julian had my friends. He forced me to play. I had to play for their sakes."
> 
> Jareth watched her through hooded eyes. "Did he?" There was a note of unspeakable danger in his voice. Jenny suddenly froze.
> 
> "Oh God," she whispered. "Sarah!"
> 
> Jareth seemed amused by that outburst. "Yes, Sarah," his eyes grew dark with laughter and he chuckled as if enjoying a private joke. "Well, we can't forget dear little Sarah now can we?"
> 
> Jenny wasn't sure whether or not she should comment on that, so she stayed quiet and studied her sneakers for a long moment. Was it only this morning when her biggest problem was trying to find the socks to go with them? Somehow, it seemed to be ages ago instead of a few mere hours.
> 
> Jareth judged her silent face, his own somber and totally unreadable. "This is virtual reality," he said finally, his eyes scanning the horizon. He didn't seem to be focusing in on anything in particular. Just taking the scene in as a whole. "It starts as nothing, but with the ability to become anything to those whose minds are powerful enough to control it. You must have the will to bend this world, to shape it into what you wish it to be."
> 
> Jenny looked at the blank checkerboard design, feeling decidedly stupid. She had no idea what he meant. _Mind Games_. Those words kept whirling oddly in her head. Frightening. Intimidating. Maddening.
> 
> "You have to pass six tests," Jareth informed her with a wave of his hand, "to prove you are a match for me. Pass all six and you and Sarah may go free. Lose and…" he paused expressively. Jenny couldn't help leaning forward. "… and you both are mine."
> 
> Jenny felt a cold chill run up her spine. The rules. She set the stakes, he made the rules. The Game had begun. And once more she had to bear the responsibility of a life that wasn't hers.
> 
> "But what if…" she began to ask, but turned to find that Jareth was no longer there. She didn't know where he had gone, but she could feel him watching from the shadows. She pressed a hand to her forehead; her breath coming and going in quick gasps.
> 
> A light on the horizon caught her eye and after a cautious look around, she headed toward it, and all the adventure that went with it.   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
Sarah held the pale feather in her hands, barely able to comprehend its meaning. Jareth had come back. And had taken Jenny. He was taking his revenge. It was all happening right before her and yet she still denied it. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. And yet… it was.
> 
> She laced her fingers together tightly, trying to get a grip on her emotions. She felt cold from head to toe. Her slender body was shaking violently and her blue eyes were wide, peering into all the dark corners of the room. A sudden crack startled her and she was suddenly shut into complete darkness. She shrieked and vaulted back to the door, but it was locked securely. She began to sob, silent tears pouring down her face as she jiggered the door handle several times, desperate to get out. She felt hysteria building up in her. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out.
> 
> Suddenly, a light flooded the middle of the room, just as if a spotlight had been turned on. It fell across the white feather, picking up every highlight and facet, the feather glowing like a beautiful pearl in the middle of the floor. It glistened with a soft light, almost seeming to whisper, "Come on. Pick me up Sarah."
> 
> Sarah sank further into the shadows, not wanting anything to do with the light. And especially not the feather. Somehow, she just felt safer there. But the light turned and flooded into Sarah's little spot against the wall, boxing her in a little circular space. Sarah felt exactly as if she were onstage, the spotlight blinding her and making it impossible for her to see into the darkness surrounding her. But she could feel a dark gaze watching her, evil eyes just waiting to prey on her. She bit her lip until blood flowed, mingling with the tears on her face.
> 
> "You have no power over me," she barely whispered, peering like a terrified child around her, trying to see into the darkness. A footstep rang across the silence of the room and Sarah shrieked, losing all control of herself.
> 
> "You have no power over me," she screamed into the darkness. "YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME! _YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!_" The words rang around the room, mocking her. The footfall sounded closer and closer. Sarah screamed again as a gloved hand touched her shoulder and collapsed in a little huddle on the floor.
> 
> "Really," an amused voice said, his words cutting cruelly into her soul. "Is that anyway to greet an old 'friend'?"
> 
> Sarah just kept sobbing, quietly now. His voice was almost gentle, but still mocking. He watched her with a quizzical look in his mismatched eyes. He didn't touch her. Only his voice gave away the fact that he wasn't totally impervious to her feelings.
> 
> "Why Jenny," Sarah finally whispered. She didn't look at him. "Why? Why didn't you just take me? Don't drag Jenny into this."
> 
> Jareth smiled. He watched her study her hands as if they were curious creations she had never before seen. "My dear Sarah," he still spoke softly, reveling in the rich color that flooded her face. "I didn't drag Jenny into this. She dragged herself into it when she made a deal with one of us."
> 
> Sarah's head flew up so fast she nearly toppled over and Jareth found himself suddenly pinned by two blazing blue eyes. "_US!_ There are _more_ of you," Sarah screeched involuntarily. She had no idea how horrified she sounded, but Jareth could hardly miss the inference. His smile turned a bit dry.
> 
> "That would be a safe assumption."
> 
> Sarah stared at him, her dark lashes shining with fresh tears. "Let her go," she begged in a quivering voice that would have melted stone. Jareth just folded his arms. "I'm the one you want. Let—Her—Go."
> 
> He kept his arms folded, his face completely impassive. "Sorry my dear. But '_that's not the way its done_'," he parodied her words from so long ago, his sarcasm unmistakable. Judging by the way she flushed again, she also recognized that statement.
> 
> "I hate you," she whispered just under her breath. Something flickered in his eyes, but he only shrugged, looking singularly unimpressed.
> 
> "You could always leave," he said, his voice hauntingly soft. He swiped a finger across her cheek before she had time to react and lifted his gloved hand, a single teardrop lying on the tip. "Take your dreams, Sarah and all these tears will disappear." The teardrop shimmered slightly, and transformed into a larger iridescent sphere.
> 
> "No," Sarah whispered brokenly. "No. I won't leave her."
> 
> Jareth spun the crystal on his fingers, watching it twirl. In the glass, several pictures started to form, pictures of Sarah laughing, without a care in the world. Sarah smiling, as suitors clustered around her, all trying to catch her attention. Sarah embracing her family and Merlin. Sarah bedecked in jewels, servants bowing low before her. Sarah on a huge stage smiling and waving as millions of people stood and applauded over and over, cheering whistling and screaming their love for her.
> 
> "Anything you could possibly wish for," he murmured as the pictures kept changing, each more tempting then the last. "Anything you could possibly dream. Don't fight me Sarah." He paused. "You don't fight me anymore." The last was so gently spoken, it was almost indecipherable.
> 
> _ Just fear me, love me--- and I will be your slave…_
> 
> Sarah pressed her hands tightly to her ears to shut out his words. "NO! NO! NO," she screamed. "I won't. I won't take your gifts. I will fight you. I WILL!!"
> 
> Jareth almost looked sad as he slowly shook his head and crushed the delicate crystal beneath his fingers. When he glanced at her then, his face was as frozen as an icicle, and twice as cruel. "So be it." He waved his hand and the two vanished from the room. The silence was almost as loud as a gunshot in the empty room. Nobody noticed a dark gray shadow, just lighter then the others, separate itself from the wall and slink off into another world…   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
Jinneil paced up and down his throne room rapidly, tapping his long thin fingers in an eerie rattling pattern that was apparently helping to calm some inner turmoil. He barely looked up as a dark emissary crawled in on three deformed tentacles and attempted a bow to his Sovereign, leaving a trail of gray slime in his wake. His bow didn't reach very far, considering he was mostly on the floor anyway, but Jinneil paid no attention. His rasping words, like the unnerving sound of an icicle melting and crackling, however did produce the opposite effect.
> 
> "Master. Jerael is here and wishes to see you."
> 
> Jinneil's head snapped up, causing the cold skin tingle a bit at the nape of his neck. He ran a hand back there experimentally, then growled like the rushing of a strong arctic wind. "Summon him in here at once."
> 
> The emissary slithered back out and a few moments later, Jerael appeared, as quietly and coldly as ever. Jinneil perched on his throne and amused himself by rearranging the ice particles at Jerael's feet to form several hideous patterns. "I trust you have news for me," he demanded. Jerael bowed slightly and tried to appear modest, when it was all too obvious he was basking in the opportunity to spy on one of the kingdom's worst enemies.
> 
> "Lord Jinneil, indeed I do have news for you. Jar--- er the opponent," he recovered himself, remembering how Jinneil had taken to the name "Jareth" being spoken last time, "has done exactly as you surmised, milord. He has contacted both of the mortal women and very quickly gained the confidence of Julian's former prey."
> 
> Jinneil nodded in satisfaction, his theory proved correct. He leaned back and shut his eyes, seeming to concentrate very hard on the other's Shadow-Man's words. "Continue, if you please."
> 
> "He contacted the one called Jenny first," Jerael recalled. "And he has placed her in a game of tests for the life of Sarah. He then contacted Sarah and placed her in a game against himself, this time for the safety of Jenny."
> 
> Jinneil's eyes opened and shone with a dangerous light. "Ingenious," he hissed, leaning forward. His movements were becoming strangely agitated. "Ah, he is as dangerous an adversary as I had first suspected. To play one side against the other, oh yes, he is clever. Very clever. And playing both sides at once doubles his chances to win, something he knew from the start. But what does he want from them, that is the question." He pounded the armrest of his throne to emphasize his words.
> 
> Jerael nodded. He had no idea what Jinneil was getting at, but whatever pleased the ruler of the Shadow-Men was fine with him. He continued his observations smoothly. "Yes milord, J—uh the opponent did demand that if Jenny was to lose, she would carve Julian back into the rune-stave."
> 
> Jinneil's eyes widened. "Julian. Of course! So that is his plan. I might have realized." He remained quiet for a moment or two, his eyes narrowed in thought. "That explains much. It is poetic indeed that the one who inadvertently destroyed Julian should be the one he selects to bring him back. How droll. Nevertheless, two can play at that game. Now of the mistress Sarah?"
> 
> "Um…" Jerael cleared his throat nervously. He had a feeling Jinneil wasn't going to like this next bit of news. "Uh… of the girl Sarah, our opponent has asked… nothing."
> 
> Jinneil shot up from his chair, his words echoing like thunder across the entire castle of Shadows. "NOTHING! What do you mean, _NOTHING?_"
> 
> Jerael trembled visibly. "I meant, he has set no stakes for her milord. He has asked nothing of her."
> 
> Jinneil's face paled slightly and he began to pace again, growing even more agitated then before. "I don't understand it," he mumbled. Jerael had to lean forward to catch most of his words. "Could he possibly… no. But no. And yet… yet it disturbs me. It is essential, imperative that he makes a demand of the child. Surely he… and yet…? These mortals ways are not to my liking." He paused in midstep and studied Jerael with such intensity that the latter found himself suddenly frightened beyond words.
> 
> "GO! _Go from here!_" Jinneil suddenly demanded passionately. He grabbed the taller Shadow-Man by the scuff of the neck and flung him at the door. "I want you to spend every minute with them, and pay particular attention to the one called Sarah. I want to know, I _must_ know what _he_ wants from her. Listen to _everything_ he says to her and return to me _immediately_ once you know what he wishes."
> 
> Jerael managed some sort of hasty assent and disappeared, leaving Jinneil with his worries and a throbbing headache. He sighed, slumping back in his throne, tapping his fingers together again and glaring darkly at the room in general. Fools. They were all fools. Jerael alone was the only one with sense enough to be trusted on a mission like this, yet he had failed where his duties were needed the most. Without information, Jinneil would be ill-prepared to meet his adversary when the time came. Without the 'right' information, he would be destroyed.
> 
> It was a shame that Jerael could not be taken completely into his confidence, but Jinneil could not take the chance that Jareth might catch his little spy and extract information from him, much the way Jinneil was already doing. Besides, Jinneil thought to himself with a wry smile, a true magician never reveals his secrets.
> 
> He swirled a bit of gray mist on his fingertips to keep him company, but it dissipated as a frigid voice called into the throne room, "Aerael of Alfheim." Jinneil growled and buried his head deep into his shadowy hands. Just what he needed. More bad news.
> 
> "Jinneil," the voice was that of that of the lightest spring breeze just dancing across the tops of sunflowers and teasing the very tips of the treetops with its musical sound. It set Jinneil's teeth on edge just hearing it. He lifted his head reluctantly to study the intruder.
> 
> If there was any being that existed that he despised as much as Jareth, it was Aerael. She was a light elf, often known as Fae or Fairy or a good spirit from the world of Alfheim, whom all the Shadow Men despised. It was a world of goodness, the world of light and air, the only world that spelled danger to the Shadow-Men, for only light could kill a shadow.
> 
> Aerael stood about two feet taller then a mortal and was very slender and willowy, almost unbelievably so. Her skin was the purest shade of burnished bronze, glowing as if it was just heated in a fire. She shone with inconceivable beauty and good health. But it was totally unlike the beauty the Shadows were born of, the white, colorless, heart-breaking beauty of ice and winter, cold as stone and twice as cruel. The beauty of a Shadow-Man gave a mortal a feeling of something untouchable, something they would long for their entire life but never gain. It slowly drove them mad with longing for that beauty. But Aerael was born of the living, natural beauty of summertime, a warm soft beauty that gave one a warm melting feeling inside, that gave one hope instead of despair. Eyes so startling dark blue, the color itself couldn't be defined. It was the depth of the velvet sky, piercingly adept at melting hearts of stone. Her golden curls bounced with life and vibrancy, glowing with the pure gold of sunshine. Her garments flooded the dark room with light and color, each thread seeming to have a life of its own. Rich robes of purple and gold outfitted a dress of the most brilliant royal blue. Her curls were upswept in a glowing headdress of gold beset with sparkling amethysts and flashing sapphires in colors so brilliant they were completely indescribable. Her face was innocent as a babe's and extremely expressive, each feature perfectly exquisite. High arched golden brows angled over her eyes, wide and slanted ever so slightly, dropping down to a petite nose and a perfect rosebud mouth, now pursed in disapproval. Large iridescent wings spread out from her shoulders, their length nearly spilling across the entire room, wide and fastened securely at the tip of her shoulders. All the colors of the rainbow sparkled across their filmy length, a color disappearing as quickly as one could spot it to be replaced by another still more beautiful. She was completely outworldly in her beauty and yet somehow, also very comforting.
> 
> As she entered his throne room, she brought with her a bright golden glow, reminiscent of the summer sunshine. A warmth also clung to her, melting the ice surrounding her. She seemed perfectly at ease in this realm of darkness, secure in the knowledge that she was clear of conscience. But Jinneil wasn't as comfortable as she was, for the light she brought was the death of him, so he cringed back in his throne a bit as she moved closer.
> 
> But Aerael, being as truly good as she was beautiful, paused and remained where she was. Jinneil relaxed somewhat, but continued to eye his visitor with great distrust.
> 
> "And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit," Jinneil said bitingly. It was hard to miss the deep sarcasm lacing that remark. Aerael regarded him solemnly.
> 
> "We may be in a separate world, Jinneil," she said softly, her voice irritating him more then he could stand. "But we are not entirely oblivious to the movements of the Shadow-Men. The Fae Council wish to know with what purposes have you contacted Jareth again."
> 
> Jinneil surveyed her coldly, all ice on the outside, but inwardly a turmoil was beginning to rage. It was bad enough this Fae brat had to show up, but now she had to bring up Jareth too?
> 
> "Go back and tell the Fae Council that when they see fit to send a real Ambassador, not a second-class acolyte, then I *may* deign to answer their questions." See how she handles that, he thought satisfactorily.
> 
> Aerael's face flushed slightly, but remembering her training, she pushed back her stung feelings and stubbornly clung to her task of questioning him. "Odin and Frigg will not be pleased with your defiance," she warned softly. Jinneil snorted.
> 
> "The gods are far too busy fighting the giants to concern themselves with the other worlds," he said, scowling darkly. "You will find no help in Asgard."
> 
> "Oberon and Titania will also be displeased," Aerael remarked, referring to the rulers of the Fae. But Jinneil only smiled, very slowly. Very coldly. Like death.
> 
> "Everything must balance or the worlds themselves will collapse," he remarked. There was a definite threat discernable in his voice. Aerael remained calm however.
> 
> "You speak truth."
> 
> "So even Oberon dares not tread here," Jinneil continued, a silky smile spreading across his face. He observed her discomfort with great delight, even though the brightness of her inherent light was painful to his eyes. "He must hold himself back to preserve all nine worlds and their safety."
> 
> Aerael inclined her head slightly. She was forced to acknowledge the truth of his words. "But we shall not tolerate rebellion, Jinneil," she warned again. "Do not be deceived. If you cause trouble for the other worlds, you will be removed from your position."
> 
> Jinneil scowled again. "My business with … Jareth is my own," he hissed menacingly. Leaning forward, he felt her shudder as a wave of bitter cold assaulted her. Sharp and deep as a knife it bit into her, dimming her light momentarily with its appalling darkness. But Aerael bravely stood her ground. "I refuse to be intimidated. You may deliver this message to the Council. The Council may make speculations as it pleases them, but when and if I choose to do something which concerns the denizens of Alfheim, there will be no need to question my motives."
> 
> He made a dismissing gesture in the air, indicating that the audience was over. Aerael pressed her lips together firmly, her wings shuddering in fury, but could extract no more information from him. At length, she bowed appropriately and turned to go, leaving with him a final warning. "So be it, Jinneil. But remember well, that you are not the only ruler with power. If you have plans that exceed the boundaries of your own realm, you will rue this day to your _grave_."   

>
>> > * * *


	5. The Nine Worlds

Wolfish ~ Thanks, I'm very flattered by your kind evaluation of my plotline. I'm a huge Julian fan as well, but unfortunately, he won't be making an appearance for a while yet. Jareth is always smug, I'm afraid *grin* particularly when he gets a starring part in fan-fiction. All the good villains are spoiled nowadays. As for my age, I'm old enough to drink legally, but not to have lost my sense of imagination. I'm really glad you liked it so far and I really appreciate your reading and response.

Angeline ~ The Gamesmenship (which was an excellent parry by Julian) is definitely one of my favorite lines in the whole book. *grin* And the *contract* line was a gift from a very good lawyer friend of mine, who is also the best beta-reader in the entire world. Every author, in my not-so-humble opinion, should have a lawyer for a beta-reader, its amazing how observant they are. *grin* And I guess I'm a really lucky writer, cause I don't have just the world's best beta-reader, but some of the world's best commenters too. I really REALLY appreciate your feedback. It tells me what I'm doing ok, what I need to work on and what isn't working. Couldn't do without it.

Elizabeth ~ *smile* Thank you so much. I love the movie and actually got into the FG's, because the simularities between Julian and Jareth were a hot topic on the Labyrinth discussion list when I first got on it and I was determined to read the book and figure out what everyone was talking about. They are both so awesome, aren't they? And who could resist combining the two? *grin*

Gratefully,

Diana

> > > * * *

  
Shadows of the Past - Five

**_"The Nine Worlds"_**

> > > * * *
>>> 
>>>   


> A flash of light split the darkness and Sarah found herself standing, _alone_, in a huge stone hallway. It was entirely empty except for two wide stone pillars that stood on either side of her. Her feet made an eerie hollow sound as they slapped on the cold tile floor. She couldn't see how far it stretched, because the dark pressed in on all sides. There was only a small trickle of light where she stood, as if a skylight far above her was open, but looking up she could find no clues of where it was coming from. Sarah twisted her suddenly cold fingers together nervously and shivered a little. Where was she? Knowing Jareth, she could be anywhere, but last time he had at least given her a little explanation before he had sent her off on a weird journey. She glanced around, trying to see if she could spot any little ticking clocks.
> 
> "Welcome to your own personal Hell, Sarah." Sarah whirled around, trying to see where Jareth was lurking. He stepped out of the darkness, his eyes dark and unreadable. Sarah fell back a space, expectedly frightened by his cool exterior. She longed to cry the whole thing off, to run somewhere—anywhere—and hide from her adversary, but the guilt of dragging Jenny in as an unexpected pawn in their game weighed down on her and reluctantly she forced herself to submit to Jareth. To whatever manipulative design he had in store for her this time. How she wished she could flee.
> 
> "What?"
> 
> Jareth smiled, a motion made only with his lips. His eyes still remained cold. "This is your challenge, Sarah. Like the good little girl you are, you would move whole worlds for your friend," his tone was subtly mocking. "Nine of them, to be precise. Now is your chance to try." He paused a moment, then continued. "There's a lesson in that Sarah, if you have sense enough to recognize it."
> 
> Light poured into the hallway slowly, like dawn coming over the crest of a hill. Now Sarah could see from the soft golden glow surrounding her that the hall wasn't as empty as she'd thought. There were dark oaks doors built into the hall, each one the same size and shape as the others. There was no clue on any of them as to where the doors led. Nine in all, they each stood about a foot taller and wider then Sarah and each one had a large ornate handle, gold and carved with mysterious symbols. Sarah stepped forward for a closer look. They did look vaguely familiar. Runes. Wasn't that what Jenny had called them?
> 
> She placed her hand on one of the handles, but Jareth's gloved hand covered her own before she could open the door. "I haven't finished Sarah," he warned her softly. "And you may not want to do that."
> 
> Sarah was uncomfortably aware of how close he was to her, his face leaning over hers, his eyes reading her own. She moistened her lips unconsciously, not realizing how attracting of a movement it was. Jareth moved ever so slightly, but it was enough. Just as Sarah was about to pull herself loose from him, Jareth pulled his hand off hers and stepped back, looking up at the door again. Sarah followed his gaze and could see a few symbols carved into the wood above her. One she recognized as being the symbol Jenny was studying in the book this afternoon, Uruz. Amazing what useless information one's mind gathered when they weren't thinking about it. The rune used for travelling. It was shaped like a 'U', squared with two uneven horns pointing downward. The other two symbols were not as easy to define.
> 
> "Each of these doors leads to a different world… one might say," Jareth said matter-of factly. He didn't seem to notice her angry glare, not that it would have fazed him if he had. "Each of the worlds is a sort of a parody of the nine worlds, with one small difference," his mouth curled up slightly on each end. "I own them."
> 
> Sarah finally found her tongue. "Whatever happened to 'You must reach my castle in the center of the Labyrinth, thirteen hours, such a pi…'," her voice trailed off as he leveled his gaze at her. Somehow, she just couldn't talk when he looked at her like that. So dark and… and frightening.
> 
> "We are playing a different game now," he said quietly. Too quietly. "No time limits this time Sarah. Just getting through each world will be difficult enough. At the end of each world, you will find a small crystal which will enable you to cross into the next world. Hold tightly to those crystals, Sarah. Only when you return to this hallway and place all nine crystals in the urn will you and Jenny go free…" He again waited, before adding ominously, "…if you get back at all."
> 
> Sarah didn't blink an eyelash. She just studied the door silently, wondering what the symbols meant. Jareth watched her just as quietly, a half-smile on his face. She hated it when he looked at her like that, calculating her like she was a prey and he, the hunter. Dark and quizzical, completely unpredictable. It sent shocks of fear rushing through her spine, making her feel inconsequential beside him. Why was he doing this to her? It all came back to that. Revenge? Sport? But _why_? Why her? She had spent many years, caged in the fear and knowledge that he would come back and yet all those years unable to explain why she was so convinced he would. What did he want with her? That she couldn't answer. But he did want her. She knew he did.
> 
> "Those are the symbols for each of the worlds," Jareth remarked suddenly. Sarah started and glanced at him, before quickly looking away. She didn't want to see him or touch him. She didn't want anything to do with him at all. _What are_, she wondered silently for a moment, before remembering what she was looking at._ Oh those… _she paused, wondering how much of her mental conversation he had heard, or at least understood.
> 
> "The first one is Uruz as you know," he continued unruffled, pointing to the introverted 'U'. Sarah followed his finger, but didn't respond. "That is the rune symbol for crossing worlds. As you will be doing," he smiled that funny half-smile again, "quite often. The other one stands for the world in question." He pointed to the next symbol, a sort of mark of wide golden ring with a triangular symbol on the face. "That ring is the ring Odin wears called Draupnir. On its face is the symbol of Asgard." Then he pointed to each of the doors, naming them off as he went. "Vanaheim. Alfheim. Jotunheim. Muspelheim. Nlfheim. Hel. Svartalfheim. And finally, your world." He looked whimsical for a moment, as if something amused him greatly, but the joke couldn't be shared. Sarah felt bemused. And she suddenly wished she had paid more attention in literature class.
> 
> She turned to study each of the symbols again. And then she noticed something.
> 
> "And the third?" The question was barely decipherable, but Sarah had to know. For there was a third, a symbol on each of the doors which Sarah did not understand. Jareth glanced at it. His smile disappeared and for a moment she thought he wasn't going to answer her. Then he reached inside his shirt and pulled free his pendant. Sarah's suspicions were confirmed. The last symbol on the doors and the pendant matched. Exactly.
> 
> "This is…," he trailed off, looking thoughtful. He suddenly paced toward it, then stopped and paced back. Sarah could feel frustration starting to build. When would he just give up the mystery and tell her what she wanted to know?
> 
> "That is the—mark of the—" again he paused. "—of my people. It does not concern you."
> 
> Sarah felt a sarcastic remark rising, but fought back the impulse. Now that she had seen what Jareth was capable of, now that she didn't view him as just the 'Goblin King'… well… she'd just as soon not get into deeper water then she could handle. She started to reach for the door handle, then stopped as something suddenly registered in her sub-conscious.
> 
> "What urn?"
> 
> Jareth looked at her. He didn't respond however, just turned slightly and stared at a small, ornately carved wooden table. It was so shiny one could see their face reflected in its glassy surface and ontop was a small porcelain urn. Sarah stared at it as well. It hadn't been there a minute ago.
> 
> "Does that answer your question?"
> 
> Judging by Sarah's stony silence that it did, Jareth smiled his funny half-smile, dimpling his left cheek ever so slightly and turned to go. Over his shoulder he noted, more as an after thought then anything. "You may choose whichever door you like to begin with. But take care. For once you've opened a door, there is no turning back."
> 
> Sarah looked back at the door she was facing, hoping Jareth would disappear if she ignored him. Her wish was granted. With her adversary gone, she relaxed a bit and studied each of the doors, pacing around the room, hoping one of them would give her a clue on which one should choose… such as talking to her… or maybe holding up a little sign which said, "Pick Me!" But as none of these things happened, she finally had to choose one herself.
> 
> She went back to the first door, the one Jareth had called Asgard. It occurred to her that logically, usually the first of something was always the easiest and the last was always the hardest. So theoretically, that would mean Asgard was the easiest to cross and her world was the hardest. Of course, Jareth could have reversed them. He could have done pretty much anything, for that matter. Logic had about as much place here as a tea party did on a football field.
> 
> But—she did have to start somewhere. And Asgard was as good as anywhere else. Sarah drew a quick breath and reached forward, clasping the antique bronze handle and pushed it down. But the door tore free of her fingers and flew open as if propelled by a strong draft of wind. Sarah caught a quick glimpse of fluffy white clouds and yawning blue skies before she pitched abruptly forward, losing the safety of the solid floor of the curious hallway for the unstoppable power of gravity and endless space.   

>
>> * * *
> 
>   
Jerael smiled as he watched Jenny heading for her first test. He had followed Jareth here after the former Shadow-Man had left Sarah and was watching from the shadows. He was somewhat dismayed that Jareth hadn't made a demand from Sarah yet, but he was relatively sure that Jareth would before this game was over. For now, his job was simply to watch and listen, waiting for the opportunity to report something back to Jinneil. Unfortunately, he was so wrapped up in watching Jenny's movements that he totally lost track of Jareth. And so he was completely taken by surprise when an arm as strong as an iron pinion circled his throat and he found himself being spun around and impaled by two icy mismatched eyes.
> 
> "Jareth," he spit out when he could breathe again. Jareth arched a brow, but didn't let go. Although Jerael was a full foot taller and a bit more solidly built then the former Shadow-Man, Jareth had the power and they both knew it.
> 
> "What do you want here, Jerael?"
> 
> Jerael tried to look innocent. "What do you mean Jareth? I was just passing through, that's all."
> 
> Jareth only smiled, a feral smile meant to intimidate. It did its job well. "Oh, were you?" he mocked. "You were just passing through the exact place where I happened to be at the moment. How… coincidental."
> 
> Jerael decided to brazen it out. "Er… yes. Besides," he hissed angrily, "it's none of your business what I'm doing. You aren't king anymore, remember?" He realized what a bad idea that was when his head slammed into the wall behind him with a sickening crunch. Jareth loomed over him. The Goblin King did not look pleased.
> 
> "But I am still wearing this," he pulled the pendant out from underneath his frilly shirt and waved it tauntingly at the other man. "And 'this' commands respect. Isn't that correct?"
> 
> Jerael nodded reluctantly. His mouth watered at the thought of just grabbing the pendant and running, but he knew Jareth would never allow it. The former Shadow-Man was still far too powerful. Even Jinneil couldn't rely on mere force. Jerael wouldn't make it two steps. So he ground his ferocious croc-like jaws together and gritted his sharp teeth. He attempted to look humbled, but unfortunately Jerael was never a good actor.
> 
> A noise from Jenny distracted them both and Jareth remembered he didn't have time to deal with his kin at present. He glared a silent warning at Jerael, who got the message and slipped invisibly into the shadows. Jareth stared at the spot Jerael had formally occupied for a moment, his mind whirling with confusion.
> 
> Jerael's appearance hadn't worried him as much as it had confused him at first. But wherever there was Jerael, there was Jinneil and that *did* worry him. For it proved his suspicions that Jinneil hadn't merely been looking for a stand-in Shadow-Man after all. He had some sort of plan and he was watching Jareth. Though whether to make sure Jareth wouldn't destroy his plans or to see what plans Jareth had, the Goblin King wasn't entirely sure. Possibly both. Nevertheless, even Jinneil couldn't interfere with what Jareth was planning.
> 
> He glanced in the direction of Jenny and his smile turned soft and cunning. It was too late for Jinneil to step in now. The game had begun.   

>
>> > * * *
> 
>   
**TBC**… Diana


	6. The Law of Fundamentals

> > > * * *

  
Shadows of the Past - Six

**_"The Law of Fundamentals"_**

> > > * * *

> _Coming Soon!_   

> 
> Est: May 1st, 2001
> 
>   

>
>> (Possibly mind you, since this is my '_wishful thinking' _date. In reality, it may not make it out quite so early as that. Nevertheless, I have not forgotten you, my dear Shadow friends!! I will be working on this one again very very shortly. And for those of you on my fanfiction updates list, be watching for a special sneak preview of it in April's update. Not on the list? Hey E-mail me : [diana7@crosswinds.net][1] and I'd be happy to welcome you to it! Hugs!! Diana)

   [1]: mailto:diana7@crosswinds.net



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